Barça ties up the League in a crazy finish at El Sadar

BarcelonaChampions. Barça put the finishing touch on the League in a match with a crazy ending at El Sadar (1-2) where everything that hadn't happened until then, happened. After 80 minutes in which the duel between the azulgranas and Osasuna had been quite soporific, everything accelerated thanks to the goals from Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres. The two azulgrana strikers, questioned throughout the season, scored the goals that, if Real Madrid doesn't win at the RCDE Stadium today, will seal the League for Barça. When the title was already being celebrated on the Catalan bench, Raúl García, narrowing the gap, added spice to the end of the match in which the azulgranas defended the score with tooth and nail to feel virtually like winners of the championship that rewards the best team.

All the emotion was experienced from the 80th minute, when Robert Lewandowski opened the scoring with a good header from a Marcus Rashford cross. Until then, the match had been very evenly matched from the start, with a clash of styles that had been clear from the beginning of the encounter. In fact, at the start of the match, Osasuna only took five minutes to show their game plan: a long ball from Rosier for the run of Raúl Moro, substitute for the injured Víctor Muñoz. A delightful control from the Catalan winger and an impeccable recovery from Pau Cubarsí to prevent further damage.

The Navarrese attacking script did not catch Hansi Flick by surprise: they are a team that does not shy away from playing direct football, looking for their wingers with long balls from the defense. They load the wings and also look for second balls, directed by an Ante Budimir who is a colossus in aerial play. To counter the home team's push, driven by a fanbase that filled El Sadar, the Catalan side also wanted to impose their style – ball possession and trying to inject speed into the game – but it was not working.

Only when they managed to slightly disorganize their opponent, did the Azulgranas generate any danger. This is how Barça's first chance came, with Olmo and Lewandowski swapping positions at the edge of the box to confuse the defense and, thus, ensure the Pole ended up trying a shot that went over the crossbar. Barça monopolized the ball, but apart from Lewandowski's attempt, Osasuna lived calmly.

Alessio Lisci's team followed their game plan, not shying away from collective defensive efforts to keep the Blaugranas at bay and waiting for their chances. Such as a Cubarsí error during build-up, which led to another scare. Luckily, this center-back invented by Flick, named Gerard Martín, was highly focused to prevent Budimir's point-blank shot, who was already preparing to strike after a good cross from Moro. It was a new warning for the navigators of a Barça that only managed to instill fear in their rival with a couple of corner services, an isolated run by Fermín López, and a soft, centered shot from Roony from the edge of the box.

While Hansi Flick's team struggled to threaten, with sterile possession dominance, Osasuna grew, led by a Budimir in form. In less than five minutes, towards the final stretch of the first half, the Croatian striker came close to scoring on two clear occasions. The first, after a great individual play where he feinted past Cubarsí and Cancelo before hitting the post with the ball. The second, capitalizing on another committed loss of possession by the Blaugranas during build-up, this time by Olmo, and unleashing a thunderous shot that Joan saved with a good hand.

On the restart, Barça came out determined to try and add another gear to their game. Surely Flick, who was in a hurry to seal his second League title once and for all in just two seasons in Barcelona, had his players' ears pricked during the break. The azulgranas pushed their lines up even further and increased their intensity, also managing to keep Osasuna at bay, but apart from a shot attempt by Olmo that was neutralized by the home defense, there was no way to test the goalkeeper Herrera.

The minutes ticked by without Barça finding a breakthrough, and the coach decided to make a move: Frenkie de Jong – who was playing his 200th league match –, Ferran Torres – who would play as an attacking midfielder, with Lewandowski remaining as the reference point – and Marcus Rashford – who replaced a lackluster Roony Bardghji – entered the fray. The German coach was looking for a game-changing moment, but the one who came closest to breaking the 0-0 deadlock was Rubén García, with a good cross-field shot that Joan once again saved excellently.

Everything is decided at the end

The final push remained. Rashford, who until then had not managed to hit the mark with his crosses, had enough composure to spot the run and the finish of a Lewandowski who proved himself with another killer goal. It was the 81st minute, but there were still two more goals to come. Good pressure from Barça allowed Fermín to spot Ferran's run, who, by passing the ball under Herrera's legs, ended up scoring a decisive goal for the League, because shortly after Raúl García reduced the deficit.