Defeat Osasuna, Barcelona's Elegant Satire

BARCELONA, FRIDAY – Barcelona overcame the challenge of limited rest time following the international break with an effective rotation policy. Thanks to this, the "Blaugrana" secured a crucial 3-0 victory over Osasuna, further widening the gap with Real Madrid in second place. The victory also served as a way for Barca to deliver an elegant satire toward their eternal rival.

The condition of Barca's squad is somewhat weakened due to several players who have not fully recovered after representing their respective national teams during the international break. Two key players, Raphinha and Ronald Araujo, were excluded by coach Hansi Flick, who did not want to take risks with their fitness. Raphinha and Araujo are deemed physically unprepared to participate in competitive matches after undertaking a long journey from South America to Spain.

Flick tends to be more accommodating to players who have not traveled long distances upon returning from national team duties. For instance, Frenkie De Jong, who represented the Netherlands against Spain in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Nations League, was trusted as a starting player. Additionally, Ferran Torres and Lamine Yamal, who also faced De Jong in the quarter-finals of the UEFA Nations League, were likewise fielded from the start by Flick.

As a result, Barca managed to dominate Osasuna at their home ground, Lluis Companys Olympic Stadium. De Jong displayed an outstanding performance with his progressive passes. He contributed to Barca's first goal, scored by Torres in the 11th minute.

What I want to say is, it (rotating players) is not easy after the international break, especially in the striker position.

Although not fully recovered after representing Spain, Torres still showcased his best performance by recording four shots on target, one of which hit the crossbar. Torres' maneuvers also made him the most dangerous player for Osasuna's defense line. Torres was noted as the player who was fouled the most (four times) in this match.

"What I want to say is that it (rotating players) is not easy after the international break, especially in the striker position. Ferran started from the beginning today, and I spoke with him this morning, as well as with Lewandowski, and we handled it well," said Flick after the match, Friday (28/3/2025) early morning WIB.

Osasuna attempted to take advantage of the fatigue of Barca's players by playing with a slightly pressing approach. Unlike Barca, whose players were heavily called up to their national teams, the international break did not significantly affect Osasuna. Only two Osasuna players, Enzo Boyomo (Cameroon) and Ante Budimir (Croatia), participated during the international break. Even then, only Budimir came on as a substitute in the second half against Barca. Meanwhile, Boyomo has not yet returned to the team after representing Cameroon.

In addition, the victory over Barca in the first meeting of the season also affected the confidence of Osasuna players. They tried to create opportunities by playing a medium defensive line. However, Barca was smarter by successfully exploiting the space between Osasuna's defenders and goalkeeper.

Several golden opportunities for Barca were created from Pedri's progressive passes from the formation. There were a total of five shots on target at Osasuna's goal from successfully exploiting Osasuna's medium defensive line. The flexibility of Barca's players in changing the direction of attack (switch play) also played a role in successfully penetrating Osasuna's defense which resulted in a penalty after Dani Olmo was brought down.

Olmo's penalty was saved. Luckily, the penalty had to be retaken because Jon Moncayola had already entered the penalty box before Olmo kicked. Olmo did not waste another chance to double Barca's lead. Robert Lewandowski, who replaced Torres in the second half, managed to bring Barca away thanks to his header. Until the end of the match, the score of 3-0 for Barca's victory remained.

Barca's success in overcoming Osasuna was a double blow for Real Madrid. Thanks to the victory, Barca is now three points ahead of Real who has collected 60 points in second place. On the other hand, the victory over Osasuna was also Barca's way of delivering satire to Real who had complained about the tight schedule.

Barca showed that squad depth is needed in a situation like this. Barca's squad depth is supported by the many graduates of the club's academy, La Masia. Flick uses the squad depth with an effective rotation policy so that the tight schedule almost does not kill Barca.

“That’s how they decide (the schedule). We can’t change it. UEFA or FIFA decide whether players can rest. In the end, that’s how it is. We’re Barca, not Real Madrid,” Flick said.

Flick's statement was a dig at Real who complained about the tight schedule. Real coach Carlo Ancelotti had said his team would not play if the break between matches was less than 72 hours.

However, that doesn't mean Barca is justifying their tight schedule. Barca right-back Jules Kounde openly said that the match against Osasuna just two days before the international break is very unreasonable. For Kounde, footballers are not robots.

"This is a lack of respect for the players, not just the club. We are not machines and to produce games and play well, we need to rest," he said.

After facing Osasuna, Barca must once again prepare to defend their lead over Real. Two days later, the “Blaugarana” will be challenged by Girona. Once again, Flick's team must overcome fatigue in order to maintain the top of the standings from Real's gaze.