Oiartzun KE 0-1 FC Barcelona: A win to stay top

Xavi Llorens’ side knew that the trip to Oiartzun was never going to be easy – the Basques have always been a formidable opponent, especially at home. But FC Barcelona  attacked the game from the start, forcing four corners in the first 20 minutes and generally looking more on top of the game than their hosts.

With a number of players with experience at some of the biggest clubs in the country, Oiartzun defended solidly and proved extremely hard to break down. But FCB finally did it after 26 minutes when a fine move involving Vicky Losada and Alexia was finished off with a Jenni Hermoso goal – one that did a fine job of exploiting the few defensive weaknesses in the Basque side.

The second half saw Barça continue to press, with Oiartzun generally sitting back and waiting to spot an error to catch the Catalans on the counter. But the visitors played a patient game, not taking too many risks, and came close when the chances did open up, especially one that fell to Hermoso on 68 minutes.  

FC Barcelona managed to control the late surge from the home side in search of an equaliser and ended up collecting a fine victory at a difficult ground. It means they stay top of the league table with a decent gap between them and their most direct rivals: Atlético Madrid and Levante.