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

Barcelona, 14 Dec 2025 (ONA) — 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.

Facing a deep-lying defensive block,
the defending champions dominated 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
threatened 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.

— Ends/Khalid