Barcelona 2-0 Osasuna: Raphinha's brace puts the Catalan team +7 ahead of Madrid!

FC Barcelona is the clearer leader in LaLiga EA Sports after matchday 16. With one more game played than Real Madrid, the Catalan team now has a 7-point advantage thanks to a clear victory over Osasuna (2-0). The Culés, in their last match of the year at Spotify Camp Nou, did not falter and pulled away in the lead.

Hansi Flick maintained the core of his lineup against Eintracht, with a couple of adjustments in attack. Rashford came in for Fermín and Ferran Torres was once again the team's '9', with Lewandowski on the bench. Raphinha moved to the attacking midfield position, while Eric García repeated as pivot alongside Pedri.

Barça generated danger early on, with 'Rashy' and Lamine Yamal sharp on the flanks. However, Osasuna managed to hold the clean sheet in the first half. In the second half, a brace from Raphinha made a fair difference in favor of the Catalans, who secure closing 2025 as undisputed leaders in LaLiga.

VAR disallowed Ferran's header goal

Rashford claimed a penalty from Arguibide in the 8th minute, but the main referee Álvaro Cordero Vega let play continue and there was no call from Del Cerro Grande in the VAR either. The Englishman outpaced the Basque player, but ended up falling as he prepared to shoot, stumbling over the 'rojillo' full-back.

Barça threatened again in the 14th minute, with a cross from Lamine that Ferran headed high, arriving very stretched. Osasuna responded with a couple of shots from Ante Budimir, which Joan García controlled without trouble. Pedri and Eric also tried their luck with shots from outside the box, Martorell's being much more dangerous, but slightly off target.

In the 23rd minute, Ferran opened the scoring after heading in a perfect cross from Rashford. The 'Shark' was onside in the play, but the semi-automatic VAR intervened to disallow the goal for a previous offside by Lamine, who was ahead at the moment of returning a corner taken short by Raphinha.

First half goalless despite a superior Barça

The Catalans had at least two very clear chances to score before halftime, but Sergio Herrera managed to keep his net clean in the first half. Ferran, in the 40th minute, tried an overhead kick that went slightly wide, collecting a short clearance from Catena after a great play by Lamine on the right.

Yamal himself tested Sergio Herrera's reflexes in the third and final minute of added time, with a well-placed left-footed shot whose rebound remained loose near the goal. Raphinha and the 'Shark' miraculously failed to get a shot off, and the 0-0 score held until Cordero Vega's whistle. Barça took 10 shots, 4 of them on target, but couldn't break the deadlock.

Osasuna weathered the Barça siege in the second half

After the break, Flick kept the XI intact, while Alessio Lisci brought on Iker Muñoz in place of Lucas Torró. Rashford had the first clear chance of the second half with a free kick from the edge of the box that forced a diving save from Sergio Herrera. Osasuna responded with a quick counter-attack from Víctor Muñoz, after a mistake by Pedri with a backward header that left Balde stranded.

Lamine continued to do a lot of damage down his flank, with crosses that were barely cleared by the Navarrese defense. The '10' and Marcus were, by far, the best players for the blaugrana team, while **Raphinha seemed somewhat disconnected** playing with his back to the 'Shark'.

The Blaugrana siege was total, with Osasuna tucked in very close to their goal and unable to sustain long possession. Balde settled in the opponent's half, forming an effective tandem with 'Rashy', while Koundé did the same, playing very close to Lamine. Eric was the furthest back, accompanying Cubarsí and Gerard Martín at the back.

Despite being exposed on the counter-attacks, Barça felt secure with their high press against a 'rojillo' side that only created danger with the speed of Víctor Muñoz, who was well controlled by Martín. Alessio Lisci resorted to the bench, sending Rubén García, Sheraldo Becker, and Raúl García onto the field in place of Budimir, Oroz, and Víctor Muñoz himself.

Raphinha sealed the match with a brace

Raphinha broke the deadlock in Barça-Osasuna with his 5th goal of the season

Just after Osasuna's last substitution (Rossier for Arguibide), Pedri led a key recovery in midfield, passed to Raphinha, and the Brazilian unleashed a left-footed shot from the edge of the box to beat Herrera and celebrate his fifth goal in LaLiga

With a lead in the score, Flick sent Frenkie de Jong and Fermín López onto the field in place of Rashford and Cubarsí, returning Rapha to the left flank and Eric to the center of defense. 

The advantage gave Barcelona much more peace of mind and, in the 85th minute, the goal that sealed the game arrived. Koundé broke down the right flank to send in a cross at mid-height. Catena half-cleared and the ball fell to Raphinha, who appeared unmarked on the other side to push the ball into the net.

For the Brazilian, it was his second brace of the season, bringing his LaLiga tally to 6 goals. Towards the end, Christensen, Roony, and Casadó came on for Balde, Pedri, and Rapha himself. The Blaugrana team bids farewell to Spotify Camp Nou this year with a clear victory and extends its lead over Real Madrid to 7 points at the top of the tableRegardless of what 'Los Merengues' do in their last two matches of the year, Barça will close out 2025 at the top of the LaLiga standings and with an advantage towards their second consecutive title and third in four years.

Match Report: FC Barcelona 2-0 CA Osasuna

• FC Barcelona, 2: Joan Garcia; Koundé, Cubarsí (Fermín, min. 74), Gerard Martín, Balde (Chrristensen, min. 88); Eric Garcia, Pedri (Casadó, min. 88); Lamine Yamal, Raphinha (Roony, min. 88), Rashford (Frenkie, min. 74); Ferran.
• CA Osasuna, 0: Herrera; Arguibide (Rossier, min. 69), Catena, Boyomo, Herrando, Bretones; Torró (Iker Muñoz, min. 46), Aimar Oroz (Rubén García, min. 64), Moncayola; Víctor Muñoz (Sheraldo Becker, min. 64) and Ante Budimir (Raúl García, min. 64).
• Goals: 1-0, Raphinha (min. 70); 2-0, Raphinha (min. 85)
• Referee: Álvaro Cordero Vega. He disallowed a goal by Ferran Torres in the first half after a call from Del Cerro Grande from VAR, for a prior offside by Lamine Yamal. For Osasuna, he cautioned Abel Bretones, Iker Muñoz, and Moncayola.
• Stadium: Spotify Camp Nou.
• Incidents: match corresponding to matchday 16 of LaLiga EA Sports 2025/26.