1 month ago
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- Barcelona slipped to their maiden defeat of the season after suffering a shock 4-2 loss to Osasusna on Saturday
- Head coach Hansi Flick has revealed why his team lost and also named who should take the blame for the result
- Despite the unexpected defeat in Pamplona, Barcelona remains at the top of the La Liga standings with 21 points
Barcelona manager Hansi Flick didn’t shy away from responsibility after his team’s unexpected 4-2 defeat to Osasuna on Saturday evening, ending their perfect start to the 2024/25 La Liga season.
The Catalans' winning streak was halted in stunning fashion on matchday eight after Flick fielded a heavily rotated lineup.
His decision proved costly, as Barcelona found themselves outfoxed by a determined Osasuna side.
Source: UGC
Osasuna stun Barcelona
The home side wasted no time in asserting themselves, taking the lead after just 18 minutes.
Striker Ante Budimir rose above Pau Cubarsi to power a header into the top corner, setting the tone for a challenging evening for La Blaugrana.
Bryan Zaragoza soon followed up with a second goal, leaving the hosts facing an uphill battle before half-time.
Despite the deficit, Flick opted not to make any changes during the break, instead trusting the same eleven to engineer a comeback.
Eight minutes into the second half, Pau Victor responded to the call with a long-range effort, pulling one back for the Catalans and injecting some hope.
Sensing the need for further reinforcements, Flick turned to his bench, introducing Raphinha and Lamine Yamal.
However, any momentum Barcelona had was quickly stifled when Osasuna earned a penalty, with Budimir calmly converting for his second goal of the night.
Moments later, Abel Bretones sealed the win for Osasuna, launching a brilliant strike from distance to make it 4-1.
Though Yamal managed to pull one back with a late long-range effort, the damage had already been done, per Barca Blaugranes.
Hansi Flick reveals why Barcelona lost
After the match, Flick took full ownership of the outcome, candidly admitting that his squad rotation backfired.
"If anyone is to be held accountable for this loss, it's me. I made the decision to rotate the squad, and it didn’t work out as I had hoped," he explained, as quoted by Fabrizio Romano.Barcelona fans turn on one player
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Barcelona fans had turned on one of their own players, holding him accountable for their first Champions League defeat of the season.
Supporters criticised the now-injured Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, blaming the German goalkeeper for his poor performance.
Fans faulted Ter Stegen for Eric Garcia's red card and the match-winner as well.
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Source: YEN.com.gh
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