Barcelona, Spain – FC Barcelona began their intense 12-day schedule with a convincing 3-0 victory over CA Osasuna at the Lluis Companys Olimpica Stadium on Thursday night.
Ferran Torres, Dani Olmo, and Robert Lewandowski found the net for Barcelona, who now lead Real Madrid by 3 points in the La Liga title chase. The match, however, came at a costly price for Barcelona as Olmo sustained an adductor injury in the 28th minute after scoring a penalty in the 21st minute, establishing a 2-0 lead.
Fermin Lopez substituted Olmo and assisted on Lewandowski’s goal in the second half. Torres opened the scoring early, tapping in a cross from Alejandro Balde in the 11th minute, earning praise from coach Hansi Flick before being replaced by Lewandowski in the 68th minute.
With a crucial Catalan derby against Girona FC on Sunday, Flick was strategic in managing player fatigue, making several substitutions, including replacing Frenkie de Jong with Pablo Torre at halftime and later bringing on Gerard Martin and Pau Victor to rest Balde and Pedri.
Having recently returned from international duty, Ronald Araujo could not play, forcing Eric Garcia to step into the center-back position due to Pau Cubarsi‘s injury. Garcia, alongside Iñigo Martinez, put on a solid performance.
A controversy arose after the match as Osasuna filed an official protest with La Liga regarding Martinez’s participation. FIFA regulations state that players withdrawn from national team duties cannot play for their clubs until five days post-international break. Martinez had stepped back from the Spain squad with an injury but was fit to play against Osasuna.
Despite the protest, Barcelona’s management seems confident in their compliance with the rules, having verified Martinez’s eligibility with both the Spanish Federation and La Liga before including him in the lineup. Osasuna’s protest is believed to have little weight.
Looking forward, Barcelona is set to face Girona FC on Sunday, with the pressure on to maintain their La Liga lead. Coach Flick will need to carefully consider his squad selections and substitutions with a Copa del Rey clash against Atletico Madrid looming on Wednesday.
