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Raphinha struck twice to secure a hard-fought 2-0 victory for Barcelona over Osasuna on Saturday, extending the Catalans’ lead at the top of La Liga to seven points.
Atletico Madrid, sitting fourth, returned to winning form with a 2-1 success against Valencia thanks to a superb second-half goal from Antoine Griezmann, while Espanyol maintained their impressive momentum by edging past Getafe 1-0 away from home.
Barcelona’s Brazilian winger finally broke the deadlock after 70 minutes, firing a powerful effort from the edge of the area before sealing the result late on as Barca claimed their seventh consecutive league win.
Second-placed Real Madrid travel to Alaves on Sunday and will look to reduce the gap back to four points.
Despite lacking their usual attacking fluency, Barcelona ground out the result and recorded their first clean sheet in six matches across all competitions. It was also a perfect home record this season, with five wins from five games at the partially reopened Camp Nou.
Head coach Hansi Flick praised Raphinha’s all-round contribution, describing him as vital to the team for both his attacking output and defensive work. Flick admitted chances were limited but said efficiency in front of goal ensured the three points.
Barca could have taken an early lead when Ferran Torres failed to keep down his effort from a dangerous Lamine Yamal cross. Yamal tested Osasuna’s defence with several drives in a frustrating first half for the hosts.
Torres later had a header ruled out for offside in the build-up and sent an acrobatic overhead kick narrowly wide, while Barca goalkeeper Joan Garcia produced a fine save to deny Ante Budimir before the break.
The breakthrough eventually came when Pedri surged forward and picked out Raphinha, who smashed a low shot into the bottom corner. Osasuna briefly thought they had equalised, but a goal from Jorge Herrando was ruled out after a collision involving Garcia.
Raphinha added his second with four minutes remaining, tapping in at the back post after Alejandro Catena deflected Jules Kounde’s cross into his path. Deployed in a more central role, the Brazilian once again underlined his importance following his return from injury.
Atletico Find Relief After Recent Setbacks
Atletico Madrid eased some pressure with a much-needed win over Valencia, although they still sit nine points adrift of leaders Barcelona.
After reviving their title challenge earlier in the season, Diego Simeone’s side had suffered back-to-back league defeats against Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao. They followed a Champions League victory at PSV with a composed performance at the Metropolitano.
Valencia started brightly, with Hugo Duro striking the crossbar, but Atletico took the lead from a corner when Koke reacted quickest after goalkeeper Julen Agirrezabala parried the initial effort.
The visitors equalised shortly after the hour mark when Beltran’s long-range strike caught Jan Oblak off guard. However, Atletico regained control through Griezmann, who brilliantly controlled a long ball from Marc Pubill before smashing it home for his fifth league goal of the campaign.
Griezmann said it was the impact of the substitutes that ultimately provided the energy needed to secure the win.
Espanyol Keep European Hopes Alive
Espanyol continued their strong season by beating Getafe 1-0, with Leandro Cabrera’s early second-half header enough to secure victory and keep them close behind Atletico in the standings.
Elsewhere, Villarreal’s match away to Levante is expected to be postponed after regional authorities requested its suspension due to severe weather forecasts.
