Barcelona moved four points behind La Liga leaders Real Madrid with a thumping 7-0 win over Osasuna on Sunday.
A Lionel Messi hat-trick and strikes from Andres Iniesta, Alexis Sanchez, Cristian Tello and Pedro handed the Catalan outfit all the points ahead of El Clasico at the Bernabeu next weekend.
Here, Sports Mole dissects the 90 minutes of action between the two Spanish rivals.
Match statistics
Barcelona
Shots: 20
On target: 11
Possession: 70%
Corners: 4
Fouls: 9
Osasuna
Shots: 6
On target: 3
Possession: 30%
Corners: 4
Fouls: 10
Was the result fair?
There is no question that Barcelona deserved to pick up all three points in comprehensive style, but 7-0 is perhaps slightly harsh on Osasuna. With 13 minutes remaining, Barca were 4-0 ahead, which was a demonstration of their dominance, but three goals in the final 12 minutes distorted the scoreline somewhat as Osasuna took a real hiding. In truth, the match as a contest was over at the interval with the home side boasting a three-goal advantage.
Barcelona's performance
It would be fair to state that Gerardo Martino's side have struggled to produce their best form in recent months, but they were just sensational in forward areas this evening. Osasuna just could not live with the movement of Sanchez, Pedro and Messi, while Iniesta was terrific in the middle of the park. There were a couple of nervy moments defensively, which has been the case throughout the season, but their forward players were all in devastating form. It was the perfect way for the La Liga champions to prepare for El Clasico next Sunday evening.
Osasuna's performance
One thing is for certain - Osasuna did not arrive at the Camp Nou purely to defend. Oriol Riera and Roberto Torres were always willing to provide movement in the final third, but it was their attacking style that ultimately proved to be their undoing. The Barcelona midfield simply had too much space to operate as the Catalan outfit picked off the visitors with ease. After a disastrous first period, Osasuna did manage to stem the flow of pressure for long spells of the second half, but their heads dropped in the latter stages as goals six and seven arrived in quick succession.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Lionel Messi: The Argentine's second at the Camp Nou made him Barcelona's all-time leading scorer, surpassing Paulino Alcantara, who had held the record since 1927. His treble put him on 371 career goals for the Spanish outfit and 28 for the season. It has not been the 26-year-old's best campaign, but he was just sensational this evening as he scored three and registered a late assist for Pedro.
Biggest gaffe
For long spells of the second 45 minutes, Osasuna defended impressively. However, the away side fell apart in the latter stages as they conceded three times in the final 13 minutes. Despite the match being a damage limitation exercise for long periods, too often the Osasuna midfield were left high up the pitch. They would not have expected to take something from the clash, but a heavy defeat could seriously harm their confidence as they battle to remain in the division.
Referee performance
It is doubtful whether Jose Teixeira will have an easier match to referee all season. The Spanish official awarded three yellow cards during the 90 minutes, but it was a contest that passed without major incident. In truth, Teixeira was not seen for long spells, which is always a good sign for a referee. Neither manager will have had any complaints about his work.
What next?
Barcelona: It is El Clasico for the Catalan outfit next weekend as the current La Liga holders travel to table-toppers Real Madrid.
Osasuna: Osasuna return to their own patch next weekend with a clash against Sevilla.
Matt Law
