Skipper Raphinha fired Barcelona seven points clear of Real Madrid at the top of the LaLiga table as they left it late to see off Osasuna.
The Brazil international’s 70th and 86th-minute strikes secured a 2-0 victory at the Camp Nou on a night when Hansi Flick’s men controlled possession for much of the game, but for too long could not find a way past keeper Sergio Herrera and his defenders.
Herrera made two fine saves from Lamine Yamal either side of half-time, but ultimately could not prevent his side from slipping to a sixth successive league defeat in Catalonia without scoring.
A hard-fought victory — their fifth on the trot in all competitions since last month’s 3-0 Champions League defeat at Chelsea — edged Barça further clear of Madrid, who travel to Alaves on Sunday.
Raphinha, however, stayed focused on his team.
“We need to focus on ourselves and if we do our job then we won’t have to worry about anyone else,” Raphinha said. “We are playing better than before and the more points, the better.”
Barça started in predictably positive fashion with Ferran Torres and Marcus Rashford both prominent, but despite dominating the opening stages, they could not find a way through Osasuna’s massed ranks.
Ante Budimir almost caught Joan García napping with a 20th-minute snapshot as the visitors responded, but the keeper was equal to the task.
Eric García sent a viciously-dipping 20th-minute effort just wide as normal service was resumed, and the leaders thought they had gone ahead in spectacular style three minutes later.
Rashford clipped the ball over the Osasuna defence to pick out Torres’ run and he beat Herrera with a deft header, only for his effort to be ruled out after a lengthy review because Raphinha was adjudged to be in an offside position during the buildup.
The hosts laid siege to the visitors’ goal, but they held stubbornly firm with Herrera saving superbly from Yamal in first-half stoppage time to leave Flick and his players frustrated at the break.
Herrera picked up where he had left off after the restart, turning away a 49th-minute Rashford free kick, but Osasuna might have taken the lead within seconds when Víctor Muñoz pounced on a mistake by Pedri to race clear, only to shoot wide.
Defender Iñigo Arguibide managed to block another Rashford attempt as the hosts turned the screw once again, and they finally made the breakthrough with 20 minutes remaining when Raphinha accepted Pedri’s pass and drilled a shot into the bottom corner.
Yamal could not find a way past Herrera once again with a curling 82nd-minute attempt, but the keeper was beaten for a second time when Raphinha tapped home at the far post four minutes from time after Jules Kounde’s cross had been cut out.
Information from PA and The Associated Press was used in this report.
