Raphinha’s Brace Breaks Osasuna Resistance as Barcelona Extends Lead to Seven Points

Barcelona: Barcelona opened up a commanding seven-point lead at the top of the Spanish La Liga after a patient 2-0 victory over a dogged Osasuna at the Estadi Olímpic, powered by a second-half brace from Raphinha. According to Oman News Agency, the defending champions faced a deep-lying defensive block, dominating possession and chances but were frustrated for over an hour. An early Ferran Torres header was disallowed by VAR for a marginal offside against Raphinha in the build-up, summing up a first half of stifled opportunities. The breakthrough finally arrived in the 70th minute. Midfielder Pedri surged through the center of the park and slipped a pass to Raphinha, who expertly curled a first-time effort from the edge of the area into the bottom corner. With Osasuna forced to open up, Barcelona sealed the victory late on. A deflected cross found Raphinha unmarked at the back post in the 86th minute, allowing the Brazilian forward a simple tap-in for his second. While largely contained, Osasuna was threa tened sporadically on the counter. Their best chance came shortly after halftime when Víctor Muñoz broke clear but fired wide with only the keeper to beat. The result marks Barcelona's seventh consecutive league win, a stunning reversal of fortune since trailing Real Madrid by five points following El Clásico in October. The pressure now shifts to their rivals, who can temporarily cut the deficit to four points with a win at Alavés tonight.