Barcelona secures narrow victory over 10-man Osasuna as Alba strikes late

image source cbssports.com

Barcelona defender Jordi Alba came off the bench to secure a late goal and clinch a 1-0 victory over 10-man Osasuna at Camp Nou on Tuesday. With this win, Barca moved a step closer to their 27th LaLiga title. The victory moved the team to 82 points from 33 matches, extending their lead to 14 points over second-placed Real Madrid, who played at fourth-place Real Sociedad on the same day.

With only five games remaining in the season, Barcelona is only four points away from clinching the title. However, Real Madrid on 68 points could still catch up if results go their way. In the best-case scenario, Barca could secure the trophy in front of their fans on May 21, against Real Sociedad at Camp Nou.

Barcelona missed several chances against a determined Osasuna side that defended with tenacity. Midway through the first half, defender Jorge Herrando was shown a red card for a foul that prevented Pedri from scoring. Despite playing with 10 men, Osasuna held on until the 85th minute when Robert Lewandowski crossed to Frenkie de Jong, who nodded the ball to Alba for a left-footed strike into the net.

Coach Xavi Hernandez, in an interview with DAZN, said, "It was an important step because we suffered too much [in trying] to break the deadlock. We missed some very clear opportunities. And then came Jordi's goal, which almost makes it better to win like that. We lacked effectiveness, but it's a summary of the season, struggling to score the many chances we create, but we played with hunger, and I think we deserved to win. The league is almost over. That's the sensation after winning the last two games. It was a giant step."

Barcelona's profligacy started before Herrando's red card, with Pedri missing a sitter from close range in the 25th minute. Raphinha sent a free-kick wide from the edge of the box, and Coach Xavi had to bring Ansu Fati off the bench to replace the injured Gavi. Araujo, De Jong, Ansu Fati, and Lewandowski all missed clear chances, while the Poland striker also had a goal ruled out by VAR due to an offside in the build-up in the 78th minute.

With the game looking destined to end goalless, Alba ghosted behind the defense to score a clever shot between the goalkeeper and the right post, edging Barcelona closer to the title.

In conclusion, Barcelona's hard-fought 1-0 victory over Osasuna brings them a step closer to their 27th LaLiga title. With only five games remaining in the season, the team needs only four points to secure the trophy. Despite missing several opportunities, Barcelona played with hunger and deserved to win. The team now has a chance to clinch the title in front of their fans on May 21 against Real Sociedad at Camp Nou.