Barça 4-0 Osasuna: Perfect night at Camp Nou
FC Barcelona have clung onto third place in La Liga after a superlative display against Osasuna in which the three points were as good as won before the game was half an hour old.
Three goals in the pace of just 13 minutes, two from Ferran Torres and one from Aubameyang meant the Catalans were leading 3-0 after just 27 minutes, meaning there was still an hour to play with the win already looking more than secure. Riqui Puig rounded off the rout in the second half.
The result means that Barça stay ahead of Atlético Madrid and Real Betis, who also won their game this weekend, but have gained two points on second placed Sevilla, who could only draw with Rayo Vallecano.
Torres at the double
The first half of Torres’ brace came from the penalty spot. Nacho Vidal brought down Gavi from behind and the referee had no option but to point at the spot. The former Man City man was the appointed taker and made no mistake in making it 1-0.
Seven minutes later and the 22-year-old was netting again, this time from open play. Ousmane Dembélé had a huge hand in the goal with a delightfully delivered assist and Torres poked the ball through Osasuna keeper Sergio Herrera’s legs.
Olé Dembélé
Dembélé is proving to be an absolute gem when it comes to setting up goals, and he was also the man who teed up Aubameyang for goal number three. The Frenchman whipped in the cross and the Gabonese striker met it at the near post.
There could have been another just before the break for the man celebrating his 600th competitive appearance for Barça today, but Gerard Piqué was the width of an arm offside.
It was clinical stuff from FC Barcelona. The Navarrans were being outclassed in every department and the chances were being taken when they came and Mr Dembélé was one of the biggest factors in that supremacy.
Slick Riqui
Later in the game he had two fine chances to get his own name on the scoresheet, but when Barça finally did strike again, it came from the feet of substitute Riqui Puig.
The young substitute was quicker than Herrera to get on the rebound of his own shot and slotted home to make it 4-0. And who’d been involved in the build-up? Why, Dembélé, of course. What a game for ‘Mosquito’!
Big week ahead...
So, three fabulous points for FC Barcelona that not only boost their league position but were also the perfect send-off ahead of their next challenge, a 6.45pm CET date this Thursday on the banks of the Bosporus against Galatasaray.
And after that, El Clásico at the Bernabéu on Sunday. Excited? You should be! Força Barça!