João Cancelo closer to the title! Ex-Benfica key in Osasuna-Barcelona | OneFootball

Barcelona took another important step in the title race by beating Osasuna 2-1 in a demanding match played in Pamplona. With João Cancelo in the starting eleven, the Catalans controlled much of the game, although they struggled to finish for long spells.

The home side threatened first, with Ante Budimir hitting the crossbar and raising doubts about the outcome. However, the changes made by Hansi Flick in the 62nd minute proved decisive in unlocking the match.

Marcus Rashford came on and set up Robert Lewandowski for the opening goal in the 81st minute, before Ferran Torres doubled the lead in the 86th. Osasuna pulled one back through Raúl García, but could no longer avoid defeat against the Catalan side.

With this win, Barcelona recorded their tenth straight La Liga victory, a run they had not managed since 2016, leaving them very close to winning the title. The decision could come as early as this Sunday if Real Madrid fail to beat Espanyol. João Cancelo could make history.

At the end, Flick played down the pressure and appeared calm. "We did our job and now it’s not in our hands. The important thing is to win a title and we’ll celebrate when possible". He even revealed his immediate plans. "Am I going to watch the game? I’m going with my wife to see Mago Pop!", he said.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.