In Round 16 of La Liga, Barcelona secured a 2–0 home victory over Osasuna, extending their perfect home record this season to nine wins from nine matches.
Throughout the game, Barcelona dominated possession and controlled the tempo, but Osasuna’s resilient defending meant the hosts struggled to find a breakthrough for long periods.
In the 25th minute of the first half, Ferran Torres headed the ball into the net, but the goal was ruled out after Raphinha was adjudged to be in an offside position during the buildup.
Raphinha Scores Twice in the Second Half
Barcelona finally broke the deadlock in the 70th minute. Brazilian international Raphinha received a pass from Pedri during a counterattack and unleashed a powerful long-range strike from outside the box, sending the ball into the top corner.
The goal lifted the home side’s confidence and disrupted Osasuna’s defensive organisation.
In the 86th minute, Barcelona capitalised once again as Raphinha pounced on a defensive error, calmly tapping the ball into an empty net to complete his brace and seal a 2–0 win for the hosts.
Speaking after the match, Raphinha said: “We knew the first goal would be difficult, but patience was the key to breaking the deadlock.”
Barcelona Lead the Table as Their Advantage Grows
With this victory, Barcelona improved their record to 14 wins, 1 draw, and 2 defeats, with 43 points. They now sit comfortably at the top of the La Liga standings, holding a seven-point lead over arch-rivals Real Madrid, who have a game in hand.
Atlético Madrid Defeats Valencia at Home
In another fixture, Atlético Madrid bounced back from two consecutive league defeats by beating Valencia 2–1 at home, thanks to the influence of their experienced players.
Atlético captain Koke, 33, opened the scoring in the 17th minute with his first goal in over a year. Valencia equalised in the 64th minute through Bertran, but 34-year-old substitute Antoine Griezmann struck the winning goal in the 74th minute, securing all three points for Atlético.
Espanyol Climb into the Top Five
Elsewhere, Espanyol continued their impressive run of form, edging past Getafe 1–0 away from home with a decisive goal from Cabrera. The win marked their fourth consecutive La Liga victory.
After 16 rounds, Espanyol sit fifth in the table with a record of 9 wins, 3 draws and 4 defeats, totalling 30 points. This matches the club’s best-ever performance at the same stage of a La Liga season and establishes them as one of the standout surprise packages this campaign.
As the league enters its mid-season phase, competition across the table is intensifying. With the standings still full of uncertainties, the battles for the La Liga title and European qualification places are set to become even more compelling in the weeks ahead.
