FC Barcelona’s quest for a record start to the La Liga season took a hit on Saturday as they suffered a 4-2 defeat against Osasuna in Pamplona. After achieving seven consecutive victories, Barcelona faced their first loss of the 2023/24 campaign.
The match began poorly for Barcelona, who found themselves two goals down at halftime. Although they showed signs of improvement after the break, their efforts to mount a comeback fell short. Osasuna capitalized on their chances to secure the win.
Barcelona’s lineup, led by coach Hansi Flick, featured young talents like Sergi Domínguez, Pau Víctor, and Gerard Martín to cope with injuries to eight players. The game was going well until Ante Budimir opened the scoring for Osasuna in the 18th minute with a header. Bryan Zaragoza then doubled the lead just ten minutes later with a skillful finish.
In the second half, Barcelona needed a response and quickly got one, assisted by an error from Osasuna goalkeeper Sergio Herrera. After a brilliant save against Robert Lewandowski, Herrera mishandled the ball, allowing Pau Víctor to score and pull Barcelona within a goal.
However, Osasuna restored their two-goal advantage when Budimir converted a penalty following a foul by Domínguez. Despite a valiant effort from Barcelona, including a spectacular long-range strike from Abel Bretones to make it 4-1, their chances of a comeback dimmed.
Lamine Yamal scored a stunning goal in the 89th minute, but it was too late to change the outcome. Despite the defeat, Barcelona continued to push forward and created several late opportunities. The team must now regroup and focus on their upcoming Champions League match against Young Boys on Tuesday at 9 PM CEST.