Barcelona came from behind and won 2-1 at Osasuna on Tuesday in matchday 14 of LaLiga, in a match that saw Gerard Piqué end his career with a sending-off.
Osasuna He went ahead with a header from David Garcia (6′), but Pedri equaled (48 ‘) and raphinha made it 2-1 (85′) in a match that the Barcelona played with ten for an hour for the expulsion of the Polish striker Robert Lewandowski for double warning (31 ‘).
The azulgrana team, leader of the contest, opens a five-point gap with Real Madridwhich on Thursday receives the Cadiz of the Paraguayan Santiago Arzamendia in the meeting that closes the last day before the break for the World Cup in Qatar.
“We had been put all againstrefereeing decisions, the goal conceded in the corner and in the end we were left with ten, which greatly conditioned the match”, said Xavi after the match, pointing out that “it is a golden victory”.
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In Gerard Piqué’s last game as a footballer, in which the center-back was sent off at half-time for protesting to the referee, Barça was soon surprised by the intensity of the locals, putting pressure on the Barça exit.
Osasuna took the lead with a header from David García from a corner kick, which grazed Unai García and slipped into the goal defended by Marc-André Ter Stegen (6′).
The local pressure caused the inaccuracies of Barça, in which Sergio Busquets did not have his best day in the distribution of the game.
Lewandowski tried a shot in the area that was stopped by goalkeeper Aitor Fernández (25 ‘) and then left his team with ten. A hard tackle by the Pole on David García earned him a second yellow card and expulsion (31’).
– Lewandowski and Piqué, expelled –
On the break, Barça also suffered the expulsion of Piqué, Substitute in his last match as a footballer.
? The last ‘show’.
Piqué is sent off at halftime in his last professional game.
? He equals Stoichkov as Barcelona’s most sent-off player with 11 red cards. pic.twitter.com/1JLqq3l8hl
— Relay (@relay) November 8, 2022
As soon as the second half began, Pedri took advantage of a loose ball in the area to level the scoreboard in the only clear chance for the Catalans up to that moment.
The blaugrana team was more precise in the second half, trying to get down the flanks, until a quick move allowed Raphinha, who had come on for Dembélé, to put Barça ahead.
The Brazilian entered the area to head in a long ball from Frenkie de Jong to make it 2-1 and ensure that Barça went into the World Cup break as league leader.
Osasuna’s stumble allowed Athletic Bilbao to get on the podium this Tuesday by beating Valladolid 3-0 with a brace from Gorka Guruzeta (19′ and 51′) and a header from Daniel Vivian (79′).
