Barcelona scores 8-0 at Osasuna
Argentine Messi led the victory with three goals, dispelling the doubts that had hung over the team after two consecutive draws in the Champions League.
Barcelona bounced back from their stumble in the previous round with a resounding victory this Saturday. Playing at home, the reigning Spanish champions thrashed Osasuna 8-0, dispelling the doubts that had hung over the team after two consecutive draws – on Tuesday, they drew 2-2 with Milan at home in the Champions League.
Last weekend, Barcelona conceded a draw to Real Sociedad after leading 2-0. This result, coupled with their stumble against Milan, was enough to cast doubt on the massive investment made by the Catalan club for the season, with the signings of Fabregas and Alexis Sanchez.
But Messi and company managed to neutralize any doubts about the team this Saturday. The Argentine led the victory with three goals. The first came just 5 minutes into the game, after a play by Brazilian Daniel Alves, and the second in the 41st minute. Fabregas, David Villa and Roversio, with an own goal, left Barcelona with a comfortable 5-0 lead before halftime.
Without slowing down, the home team maintained their firepower in the second half and scored three more goals. Xavi, with a beautiful chip, Villa, and Messi, once again, found the net. Osasuna even managed to score a consolation goal, but the referee disallowed it for offside.
With their second victory in the Spanish Championship, Barcelona reached seven points and remained in the fight for the lead, which currently belongs to Valencia, with nine points and a 100% record. The league leaders secured their third consecutive win by beating Sporting Gijon 1-0 away from home at the start of the round.
Málaga, one of the teams that invested the most before the season, beat Mallorca 1-0 and reached six points. Villarreal, meanwhile, fell to Granada 1-0 away from home. Real Madrid, who still have a 100% record in the league, will face Levante away from home this Sunday.