Johan Mojica Barcelona – Osasuna Spanish League: Johan Mojica, starter in Osasuna’s defeat against Barcelona

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Barcelona got some air this Tuesday against Osasuna in a match that was decided with a solitary goal from Brazilian Vitor Roque, his first as a Barça player, who also forced the foul that ended with Unai García being sent off for a double yellow card in the 67th minute. Despite to play more than 25 minutes with one less player, Jagoba Arrasate’s men, who have gone four months without winning away from El Sadar, did not wrinkle at the Lluís Companys Olympic Stadium and were close to a tie with two clear chances from Raúl García and Moncayola .

Xavi demanded a reaction from his players in the preview. He thought they would be released after announcing that he would leave the Barça bench at the end of the season. The opposite happened in the first half. Barcelona came out with four new additions to the lineup. The young Pau Cubarsí and João Cancelo in defense, Pedri in midfield and Ferran Torres in attack. The latter played only four minutes, which took him before noticing some discomfort in the back of one of his thighs. He left the field visibly affected by Foios, the team’s fittest player in a January to forget.

More problems for Xavi. In his place, Fermín López, one of Barcelona’s unremarkable players, came in, along with Lamine Yamal in a tedious first 45 minutes, without rhythm or chances on the part of both teams. Proof of this is that neither locals nor visitors finished between the three sticks in the first half. Robert Lewandowski and Ante Budimir had the clearest chances with headers that narrowly missed the target.

Without rhythm, the Blaugrana’s ball circulation was slow, something that Jagoba Arrasate’s men were grateful for, who only kept three starters from the last game (David García, Johan Mojica and Ante Budimir) with the system of three centre-backs and two wing-backs that he has put in place. in practice in the last games. If in Barcelona only the rebellion of Lamine Yamal and Fermín sought to shake up the monotony, the red footballers were somewhat timidly waiting for the defensive error of each Barça game that did not arrive in the first act.

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The Montjuïc crowd saw the first shot on goal of the match in the 47th minute, by Lamine Yamal, which Aitor Fernández saved without problems. He warned of the Barça teenager turned out to be a mirage. Barcelona wanted to, but couldn’t. He was lucky to face an opponent who was indolent with the ball and lacked offensive bite. He stirred Xavi’s hornet’s nest fifteen minutes after the restart. He brought on Vitor Roque, the only offensive alternative he had on the bench. The Brazilian came on for Fermín in the 62nd minute and in the 63rd minute he was already celebrating his first goal as a Barça player.

Until that moment he had played 86 minutes spread over five games in which he missed the goal. The former Atlético Paranaense player’s goal came after a great team play by Barça, perhaps the first of the game that ended at the feet of Cancelo who, with the outside of his right leg, placed the ball at the near post, where it appeared like a Roque plane to finish off with a powerful header. He roared the ‘tiger’, one of the Brazilian’s nicknames that shortly after caused Unai García’s foul, which meant the expulsion of the red defender for a double yellow.

With numerical superiority, Barcelona, ​​which had the second in a quick transition by Lamine Yamal, was unable to take possession of the ball. Coach Arrasate did not give up the tie, bringing on Raúl García, Barsanac and Rubén García. And they came close to equalizing the score with two very clear chances from Raúl García, who touched the post with a low shot, and a very powerful blow from Moncayola that was rejected by Peña.

The second Barça player did not arrive, Lewandowski scored offside and Osasuna played with the nerves and urgencies of their rival. The last two plays of the match ended in the home team’s area. The ‘rojillo’ goal did not come from a set piece either. Barcelona was breathing, adding three vital points in its fight for a ticket for the ‘Champions’ next year. Athletic Club, fifth placed, is now five points behind.