Teenager Ilaix Moriba scored his first goal for Barça, as Ronald Koeman’s side beat Osasuna 2-0 on Saturday to reduce the difference to Atlético de Madrid by two points.
Report: Barça closes the gap with Atlético with the victory against Osasuna
Only in his fifth appearance at the club, 18-year-old Ilaix, shot from the edge of the box seven minutes from time after being created by Lionel Messi. Jordi Alba had opened the scoring in the first half, shooting from the left of the area after Messi played it.
Barça were also indebted to goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, who made a series of fine saves while extending his unbeaten career in the league to 16 games.
Positive
Ilaix, a graduate of the Academy, brought the feeling of satisfaction, as Barça maintained its impressive form in the league. Koeman showed a lot of confidence in him last week and pushed him forward with the game hanging on the scales 1-0 with 25 minutes to go. He showed no signs of nerves as he cut his husband’s insides before reaching a good finish to finish Barça’s points at El Sadar, the same ground where Ansu Fati scored his first goal for the Catalan club. .
The three points felt especially important in the context of the weekly comeback against Sevilla in the semifinals of the Copa del Rey. It would have been easy to dive in after that high, while it also increased the pressure on the Atlético leaders, who on Sunday face Real Madrid, third ranked, in the Derby.
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Negatives
The score flattered Barça, who needed great stops from Ter Stegen to keep them ahead. On another night, they could have dropped points easily. Alba also came out late with a hit. Barça will expect it to be nothing given its recent form.
Administrator rating out of 10
7 – Koeman deserves a lot of credit for giving Ilax a few minutes in big games.
Ranking of players (1-10; 10 = best. Players entered after 70 minutes do not get any rating)
GK Marc-Andre ter Stegen, 8 – He made several impressive savings. The stops to deny Kike Barja and Ruben Garcia were probably the highlights.
DF Clement Lenglet, 7 – Perhaps his best performance in 2021. He fought well against Osasuna attackers and relied on the ball.
DF Samuel Umtiti, 5 – Reserved to collide with Roberto Torres in a dangerous area, even though Lenglet’s pass had exhausted him. Taken off in the middle.
DF Oscar Mingueza, 7 years – Another mature performance as part of the back three in the first half and as one of the two central after the break.
MF Sergio Busquets, 6 – It came out an hour later after another solid screen in the center. It works best with the protection of three power plants.
MF Pedri, 7 – He rarely made a mistake with the ball at his feet. He almost scored, but his shot from 18 yards was too close to Sergio Herrera.
MF Frenkie de Jong, 7 – Once again, the Dutch international did not stop running. He fell behind when Busquets came out to build Barça’s attacks from deeper.
MF Jordi Alba, 8 – He scored his fifth goal of the campaign, equaling his highest total of the 2012-13 season. He is in great form in attack, where he benefits from a great relationship with Messi, but he is also covering well in defense.
MF Sergino Dest, 6 – He got some good positions on the right and had his score hit, but hesitated when he reached the final ball.
FW Antoine Griezmann, 6 years He returned to the side after three games on the bench, but could not defend a more regular football.
FW Lionel Messi, 8 – Establishing Barça’s goals and all the attacks, although his teammates’ insistence on looking for him can often be an obstacle.
Substitutes
FW Ousmane Dembele, 6 – He reached the half, but had no vanguard in the final third.
MF Ilaix Moriba, 7 – He added some new energy to the midfield on a night he will never forget.
FW Martin Braithwaite, 6 – He worked long after entering through Griezmann, but had little luck in and around the area.
MF Riqui Puig, N / R – He replaced Pedri after Ilai’s last goal.
DF Junior Firpo, N / R – Considering the last few minutes on the left side.