The Catalans reached the Spanish Super Cup final, where they will face Real Madrid.
Barcelona defeated Osasuna 2-0 in the Spanish Super Cup semi-finals on Thursday. A dominant second-half display secured Barca’s place in the final.
What happened?
The game started off slowly, but Barcelona’s dominance over the possession led to a few serious chances as the first half went on. Following two close misses from Robert Lewandowski and Ilkay Gundogan, Osasuna had a chance to get ahead through Ante Budimir, but the Croatian star’s shot was stopped by Inaki Pena.
The Catalans reestablished their dominance after the break, finally scoring the opener just before the hour-mark. Lewandowski latched onto a through ball from Gundogan before making it 1-0 with a precise low shot into the corner of the net.
Osasuna made a few efforts to get the equalizer, but Barca kept them at bay with their quick counter-attacks. Xavi Hernandez’s side then killed the game off when Lamine Yamal doubled their lead in the 93rd minute.
Barcelona will face Real Madrid in the Spanish Super Cup final on Sunday.
Barcelona vs Osasuna: Man of the Match
Ilkay Gundogan deserves the Man of the Match title for his commanding presence at the heart of Barcelona’s midfield line as they defeated Osasuna. In addition to providing an assist for Lewandowski’s opener, Gundogan registered a 96% passing accuracy while winning seven ground duels.
Player Ratings
Barcelona: Pena (7), Kounde (8), Araujo (7), Christensen (8), Balde (7), Roberto (7), Gundogan (9), De Jong (7), Raphinha (6), Torres (6), Lewandowski (7).
Bench: Yamal (7), Pedri (6), Felix (7).
Osasuna: Herrera (7), Garcia (6), Areso (5), Catena (6), Cruz (7), Pena (6), Oroz (6), Munoz (6), Gomez (5), Budimir (7), Arnaiz (6).
Bench: Moncayola (5), Raul Garcia (7), Mojica (6), Ruben Garcia (6), Barja (5).