Barcelona 1-0 Osasuna: Jordi Alba nets late winner as champions-elect narrowly beat 10-man visitors
In a La Liga match at Camp Nou, Barcelona defeated Osasuna 1-0 thanks to a late goal by Jordi Alba, which further solidified their lead at the top of the table. Osasuna, who made significant changes to their lineup in preparation for the Copa del Rey final against Real Madrid, played with a compact and well-organized back five that gave Barcelona trouble breaking through. In the 22nd minute, debutant Jorge Herrando was sent off for a professional foul on Pedri, leaving Osasuna with 10 men. However, Barcelona struggled to make the most of their numerical advantage, and it wasn't until after halftime that they began to seriously threaten Osasuna's goal.
Frenkie de Jong and Ousmane Dembele both had chances to score, but Osasuna goalkeeper Aitor Hernandez made a great save and Dembele missed the target. Meanwhile, Iker Munoz almost scored for Osasuna, but Marc-André ter Stegen made a fantastic low save. Barcelona thought they had taken the lead when Lewandowski scored from close range, but the goal was ruled out for offside. With the match heading for a draw, Jordi Alba scored the winning goal with a powerful shot from the edge of the box in the 85th minute.
Jorge Herrando's La Liga debut was not one he will remember fondly. The defender was sent off for a professional foul on Pedri, leaving Osasuna with 10 men. Although they put up a valiant effort, Barcelona eventually wore them down and secured the win. Frenkie de Jong was the standout player for Barcelona, with his clipped crosses and precise passes causing problems for Osasuna's defense. Despite Barcelona's dominance, they struggled to find a way past Osasuna until the late goal by Alba.
With this win, Barcelona extended their lead over second-placed Real Madrid to 14 points with five games remaining in the season. While Osasuna's focus was on the Copa del Rey final, Barcelona showed their determination to secure the La Liga title. Although the match was not their most convincing performance, they did enough to secure the win and move one step closer to the championship.
PLAYER RATINGS
BARCELONA: ter Stegen 6; Kounde, Araujo 7, Christensen 6, Balde 6; Pedri 7, Busquets 6, de Jong 8; Raphinha 6, Lewandowski 6, Gavi 5. Subs: Fati 8, Garcia 6, Dembele 7, Alba 7, Torres 6
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