Raphinha struck twice late in the second half as Barcelona secured a hard-fought 2-0 victory over a resolute Osasuna side on Saturday, extending their lead at the top of the La Liga standings to seven points.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

Hansi Flick’s men now sit on 43 points, comfortably clear of second-placed Real Madrid, who have a game in hand and are set to play at Alaves on Sunday.

Barcelona dominated from the outset, enjoying an eye-watering 80 percent possession and firing 24 shots compared with just three from Osasuna.

However, the visitors’ disciplined five-man defensive line, combined with several outstanding saves from goalkeeper Sergio Herrera, frustrated the home side for much of the match.

The Catalans thought they had broken the deadlock in the 23rd minute when Ferran Torres nodded home a looping header from Marcus Rashford’s cross after a short corner routine.

However, a lengthy VAR review ruled the goal out for a marginal offside in the build-up.

The best chance of the first half came in the 40th minute, as teenager Lamine Yamal darted down the right flank before delivering a pinpoint cross to Torres. The striker unleashed an audacious overhead kick but sent the ball wide of the far post.

Osasuna’s resilient back five held firm as Barcelona swarmed forward in the second half, with Rashford testing Herrera’s acrobatics from a free kick early after the interval.

Yamal remained a constant menace down the right, tirelessly driving at defenders, but the visitors absorbed wave after wave of pressure.

Barcelona finally broke down Osasuna’s deep defensive block in the 70th minute when Pedri’s incisive pass cut through the visitors’ defence, finding Raphinha in his stride.

The Brazilian forward took a controlled touch before unleashing a thunderous strike from the edge of the area, the ball arrowing inside the left post.

Raphinha sealed the win in the 86th minute. A deflected cross from Jules Kounde on the right found the Brazilian unmarked at the far post, and he calmly volleyed the ball into an empty net, giving the scoreline a more comfortable look.

“It’s very commendable [what Osasuna did] because they were very compact and we struggled to break them down,” Barca defender Gerard Martin told Movistar Plus. “But with patience and a lot of ball possession, we know that goals always come, and we finally found them.”

Former Aston Villa manager, Tim Sherwood, has said Arsenal will win the Premier League title.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

Sherwood has gone as far as hailing Mikel Arteta’s men as “champions in waiting”.

He stated this during his analysis of the Gunners’ 2-1 win over Wolves on Saturday night.

It was a tough match for the league leaders, who needed two own goals to see off the bottom-placed team.

But Sherwood has praised Arsenal’s ability to grind out the result and win to go five points clear at the top of the table.

“The best teams find a way to win,” Sherwood told Premier League Productions.

“They are champions in waiting.”

The Super Eagles have opened camp in Egypt ahead of the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations, reports Completesports.com.....TAP TO CONTINUE READING

According to the team’s media officer, Promise Efoghe, they are based at the Renaissance Hotels, Cairo.

Head coach Eric Chelle, his assistants and back room staff have all arrived at camp.

Meanwhile, goalkeeper, Francis Uzoho has arrived at the team’s camp.

The Omonia Nicosia shot stopper touched down around 2am Sunday morning.

The Super Eagles will take on the Pharaohs of Egypt in a friendly at the Cairo International Stadium on Tuesday.