As prior to the elections that should mark the beginning of a new era at Barça, the Blaugrana team added a victory that opens a new horizon for the Catalans. The 0-2 victory against Osasuna (which represents Barça's eighth consecutive victory away from home, the sixteenth matchday without losing in LaLiga and the fourth match leaving a clean sheet) will allow Barça to see the derby between Atlético and Real relaxed and with popcorn. Barça completed a fantastic week in which they qualified for the Cup final with a comeback against Sevilla and sleep second, two points behind Atlético and leaving Real Madrid three.
Hooked on the emotional moment that his team lives, Koeman, who arrived in Pamplona with three centrals, He opted again for the defense of three and composed a rear with Mingueza, Lenglet and Umtiti, a defensive line that his cardiologist has more prohibited than tobacco.
Right from the start, Osasuna made things clear to Barcelona. The Navarrese were going to exploit the intensity of their game by turning every inch of El Sadar into a minefield. With impetus, Koeman's team, which came to the game tired, had nothing to do but appeal to the quality of its players and try to take advantage of the spaces that Osasuna could leave behind him in the moments of siege to the Catalan defense.
And nobody like Messi to read this kind of thing. The Argentinean diagnoses the game like nobody else and seeing that all the individual duels were lost, he delayed his position to throw at his teammates when the rojillos were uncovered. Thanks to a pass from the Argentine to Alba, Barça went ahead on the scoreboard with a goal from the side that broke through his band. In this way Barça took advantage in a match in which Osasuna was making him suffer and in which he survived thanks to the performance of Ter Stegen. The German goalkeeper showed off a shot at Barja's squad first and repeated a miracle against Rubén García to avoid the draw. The score was from Barça, but the match was from Osasuna.
With Umtiti admonished, Koeman faced the second half changing his drawing. Umtiti stayed in the locker room and Dembélé came out to play. Nor is it what the cardiologist would recommend, but it is what it is.
For the tranquility of the culé coach, Barça came out in the second half with the idea of keeping the ball more clinging to a scandalous Pedri, who at 18 solves dangerous situations with a normality inappropriate for his age. Already placed to trust the youngsters, Koeman opted for Ilaix, who again passed in front of Riqui for the third consecutive game. Braithwaite also entered for Griezmann, who after three starting substitutions again missed another opportunity to claim.
The insistence is a requirement for Osasuna, who in the final stretch of the game cornered Barcelona with corners and side fouls, where Calleri and Budimir, who entered for the Argentine, were a constant toothache for the culé behind.
The Barça, which was not fine, knew how to suffer in those minutes of Navarrese siege and in the absence of seven minutes closed the game in a play in which two teenagers, Pedri and Ilaix, were associated with Messi. Pedri stole, who enabled Messi, the Argentine teamed up with Ilaix, who with the calm of a veteran changed his leg ball to beat Herrera and debut as a scorer in LaLiga.
At Barça, hope is reborn and the team is heading for a change of era that must be confirmed at the polls tomorrow.