Barcelona Extends Lead at the Top with Three-Goal Win Over Osasuna
Barcelona widened their lead at the top of La Liga to three points ahead of arch-rivals Real Madrid after a 3-0 victory over Osasuna in a rescheduled match from the 27th round. The fixture, originally set for the 8th of this month, was postponed just 20 minutes before kickoff due to the passing of the club’s doctor, Carles Minarro Garcia.
The Catalan side faced little trouble in the match, dominating from the start and opening the scoring early in the 11th minute through Ferran Torres. Dani Olmo doubled the lead in the 21st minute from the penalty spot before Polish striker Robert Lewandowski, who came off the bench, sealed the win with a third goal. The goal lifted his league tally to 23 in 27 matches, making him the first player to reach 36 goals across all competitions in a single season for Barcelona since Lionel Messi in the 2021-2022 campaign.
Barcelona now sits on 63 points, three ahead of second-placed Real Madrid and seven clear of city rivals Atlético. Meanwhile, Osasuna remains in 14th place with 33 points, extending their winless streak across all competitions to seven matches, including six in the league.
This was also Barcelona’s fifth consecutive win in all competitions, extending their unbeaten run to 19 games, a streak that dates back to their last defeat against Atlético Madrid (1-2) on December 21, 2024.
Coming just two days after the international break, Barcelona opted to rest several key players, including Lewandowski and Pau Cubarsí, while Brazilian winger Raphinha and Uruguayan defender Ronald Araújo were absent after returning from international duty.
The hosts took the lead early following a well-worked team move that saw full-back Alejandro Balde advance down the left flank before delivering a low cross into the box, which Torres finished with a precise shot into the net (11’).
Torres continued his impressive season, reaching 14 goals and 17 goal contributions across all competitions, marking the best individual tally of his club career.
Ten minutes after the opener, Barcelona earned a penalty after Osasuna goalkeeper Sergio Herrera fouled Olmo. The Spanish international initially missed the spot-kick, but VAR intervened to order a retake due to encroachment by Osasuna players. Olmo made no mistake the second time, converting successfully (21’). However, he was forced off injured just seven minutes later, making way for Fermín López (28’).
Lamine Yamal nearly added a third, but his shot went just wide (31’), while Torres was denied his second of the night by the crossbar (39’).
The tempo slowed in the second half, prompting German coach Hansi Flick to rest Dutch midfielder Frenkie de Jong at halftime, introducing Lewandowski (68’). The Polish striker needed only a few minutes to make an impact, heading home from a brilliant López assist to seal the win (77’).
