Amadeu García Barcelona
Barcelona
Updated Wednesday, January 31, 2024-21:07
Direct This is how we live it
Barça
beat
Osasuna
, but still hasn't broken free
.
Xavi
's men
won thanks to a solitary goal from
Vitor Roque
, but were unable to close the match against an opponent who
played with ten
for much of the second half of the duel.
An inability that, for the umpteenth time, forced them to suffer until practically the last second of the match, with the rival goalkeeper going up to finish off a lateral foul that would end with the ball walking with suspense near the goal line. The victory, despite all the regrets, would end up remaining in the hands of a team that continues to be plagued by injuries.
Ferran Torres
was the one who became the new tenant of the infirmary.
Xavi assured last Saturday that he was announcing his
goodbye
to, in some way, free his players. Relax them. And that way they would play better. Some good intentions that the Blaugrana were not able to capture on the pitch in the once again
very gray
first 45 minutes .
And, to make matters worse, with the added setback of a new muscle injury. Ferran Torres fell to the ground when the first moments of the match had barely been played. His gesture as he left the grass, in tears, did not convey good feelings at all. His loss also means that Xavi will lose one of the players who has been in the best shape in recent games.
The Valencian added to a list of casualties that also includes
Íñigo Martínez, Ter Stegen, Marcos Alonso, Balde, Gavi, Balde, Raphinha, Sergi Roberto and Joao Félix
, who suffered an injury to his right ankle in training on Tuesday. The former Athletic player could be ready to face Alavés this Saturday in Mendizorroza, while the German goalkeeper could reappear next week against
Granada
.
The lack of troops in attack caused Xavi to opt for
Fermín
as a replacement for Ferran Torres. And to tell the truth, the young midfielder was perhaps the one who gave him the most enthusiasm on the pitch. Osasuna, meanwhile, went to
Montjuïc
with the idea of arming itself in defense and trying to find something in attack sporadically. A formula that only his lack of aim in the last meters made ineffective. The visitors, however, protested as a
penalty
an tackle by
Araujo on Arnaiz
that neither the referee nor the VAR considered punishable.
Fermin, the best
Stifled and lacking ideas in attack, Barça found its best opportunities to break the 0-0 lead before the break with a set
piece
, although its shots did not even manage to end up between the three posts. Fermín, hyperactive, also had a very good opportunity that, in the end, completely involuntarily, he ended up thwarting himself, by converting his attempted shot into a kind of clearance.
After the break, the Blaugrana seemed to wake up a little from their drowsiness. Both their own and the one they threatened to establish in a stand that, despite the day, the time and the team's situation, exhibited a more than capable appearance. The initial effervescence, however, ended up diluting again very soon, once again taking over the almost eternal lack of clairvoyance in the offensive phase.
Xavi
, faced with such a scenario, sought a
solution with Vitor Roque
, but sending Fermín to the bench, tirelessly dedicated to the cause since he took over from Ferran Torres. But the bet worked out well and the Brazilian, as soon as he took the field, made it 1-0 after taking advantage of a good cross from
Cancelo
and excited the stands that, shortly before, were chanting the name of the Barcelona coach.
Things would also apparently become a little more difficult for the locals with the
expulsion of Unai García
. Those from Arrasate, however, far from backing down and seeking counterattacks when they found themselves at an disadvantage, made
several dangerous approaches
to Iñaki Peña's area. The best, one from Raúl García who missed the back line after hitting the post and one from Moncayola who managed to thwart the Barça goal. The best
culé
response
would be a goal from Lewandowski, after an assist from Vitor Roque, finally invalidated due to offside, completely insufficient to prevent uncertainty, once again, from reaching the last breath.