The Classic awaits us in the final! But there will surely be controversy over Barça’s winning goal.
Anatoly Romanov January 12, 2024, 00:15 Moscow time Audio version: Your browser does not support the audio element.
The blaugranas beat Osasuna in the semi-finals of the Spanish Super Cup.
Barcelona became the second finalist of the Spanish Super Cup. Xavi’s team will face Real Madrid in the decisive match for the trophy on January 14. This is what everyone has been waiting for.
The current champion, Barcelona, faced an easier opponent than Real Madrid in the semi-finals. Osasuna is far from fighting for first place in La Liga. But is there any easy rival for Xavi’s current team in Spain, whom he would crush like Barça during midfielder Xavi’s golden era?
The Catalans played with a 4-3-3 and had the ball 70% of the time, while the Basques defended with a central block in a 5-4-1 formation with a diamond in the center of the field. Osasuna had turned the center of the field into a thick, impenetrable forest, and in those circumstances Barcelona knew how to find space on the wings. There, the width was provided by right winger Rafinha and left back Balde, while formally left winger Torres and centre-back Sergi Roberto worked between the lines.
Xavi and Hagoba Arrasate’s teams showed live football, as if they had caught the example of Real Madrid and Atlético from the first semi-final. Both Barcelona and Osasuna had scoring chances, but there were no goals. Basque goalkeeper Herrera acted strangely at first, clearing the ball under pressure to the opponents, but then made a save when Lewandowski completed an unexpected three-on-two counterattack. Once again the Pole was able to score at the end of the half hour of the game, gaining air and sending his header to the ground after a corner. However, he missed the mark: Rüdiger had done better the day before.
I also remember the episode where Raphinha made an interception, beat two and flew away one by one, but was brought down by Catena. The referee only showed a yellow card and the VAR supported his decision, however, the moment was controversial: it seemed tempting to be sent off. Raphinha did not play until half-time: at the end of the first half, the Brazilian was injured and was replaced by Yamal.
Real Madrid and Atlético put on a show in the first semi-final of the Spanish Super Cup:
Wow, we saw it! Real Madrid and Atlético starred in the great winter thriller
Osasuna took good advantage of Barcelona’s defensive weaknesses. Either Christensen makes a mistake, Balde plays unsuccessfully or Araujo allows himself to be hit in the area. The best chance in the 45th minute came from the Croatian Budimir, who shot at point-blank range from just a few meters away: goalkeeper Peña showed that he did not take Ter Stegen’s place in vain.
After the break, Barcelona, with its positional attacks, pushed Osasuna further towards its goal. And in the end he put pressure on the Basques. It is true that the Catalans scored a goal that caused great controversy. Did Christensen really violate the rules on Arnáiz when he took the ball and started the scoring attack? Even in the replay it was difficult to see the Dane’s foul, so it is most likely that referee Muñiz Ruiz and the VAR were right. Gundogan made a brilliant, penetrating pass to Lewandowski, and the Pole showed his class here. He handled the ball well and hit it perfectly low.
With the score 1:0, Barcelona continued to possess the ball and forced Osasuna to expend a lot of energy in the tackles. Pedri returned from injury and the midfielder came on as a substitute. Arrasate’s team expected rare counterattacks or some successful episode, as in the situation in which De Jong, after a throw-in, threw the ball at the head of another and organized a dangerous corner in his own goal. But just a quarter of an hour before the final whistle, Osasuna shot on goal for the first time in the second half. This was done by the same striker Budimir, who turned inside out in the fight against the Barça defenders.
Xavi’s team won not with a favorite score, but finally with a difference of two goals. In added time, Yamal, 16, scored another goal, solving the episode with three touches in the Osasuna area. This is only Lamin’s second goal for Barcelona. The result can be considered fair, despite the fact that the Catalans’ first goal will be discussed three days before the classic with Real Madrid in the final. Barcelona far surpassed the Basques in shots: 20:11 (on goal: 7:3) and xG (1.63 compared to 0.63).
