In a shocking turn of events, La Liga leaders Barcelona were handed their first loss of the season by Osasuna in a 4-2 defeat. The Catalans, who had won all seven of their previous matches, were outplayed by a relentless Osasuna side led by Ante Budimir's brace and a stunning goal from Abel Bretones. The loss comes as a setback for Barcelona, who had the opportunity to match their best start to a league campaign with eight consecutive wins.
Barcelona's Unbeaten Start Ends in Shock Defeat to Osasuna
In an unexpected turn of events, FC Barcelona suffered their first defeat of the La Liga season, losing 4-2 to Osasuna on Sunday. The loss derails Barcelona's perfect start to the campaign and raises questions about their title aspirations.
Background
Barcelona entered the match as heavy favorites, having won all seven of their previous league matches. The Catalan giants were also riding a wave of momentum following their 4-0 victory over Athletic Club in the Champions League on Tuesday.
Osasuna, on the other hand, entered the match with a mixed record of three wins, three draws, and three losses. However, the Pamplona-based club had shown signs of improvement in recent weeks, including a 2-1 victory over Valencia.
Match Summary
Osasuna took the lead in the 21st minute through Ante Budimir, who capitalized on a defensive error by Barcelona to fire past Marc-Andre ter Stegen. The Catalans managed to equalize just before halftime through Ansu Fati, but their joy was short-lived as Budimir restored Osasuna's lead in the second half.
The visitors extended their advantage further thanks to a stunning goal from Abel Bretones and a header from Kike Garcia. Barcelona pulled one back through Pedri, but it was too little too late as Osasuna held on for a famous victory.
Reaction
Barcelona manager Xavi Hernandez was left frustrated by his team's performance, admitting that they were "completely dominated" by Osasuna.
"We didn't play well at all. We made a lot of mistakes and Osasuna deserved to win," Hernandez said.
Osasuna coach Jagoba Arrasate hailed his team's "unbelievable performance" and praised their determination and belief.
"We knew we could do it. We played with a lot of heart and we got our reward," Arrasate said.
FAQs
1. What was Barcelona's previous best start to a La Liga campaign?
8 consecutive wins in the 2017-18 season.
2. Who scored Osasuna's winning goal?
Kike Garcia
3. Who was the man of the match?
Ante Budimir
4. How did Barcelona react to the defeat?
They were disappointed and frustrated, but vowed to bounce back.
5. What are Barcelona's prospects for winning the La Liga title?
The loss leaves Barcelona three points behind leaders Real Madrid, but they still have a good chance of winning the title if they can improve their form and consistency.
Brazilian striker Joao Pedro proved his worth as he scored two crucial goals to lead Chelsea to victory in the Club World Cup semi-final match against Fluminense. Despite his ties to the opposing team, Pedro showed his class and skill as Chelsea secured a spot in the final against either Real Madrid or Paris Saint-Germain. With his impressive performance, Pedro's £55 million price tag seems like a bargain for Chelsea. The win also earned the team an additional £22 million, adding to the £60 million they had already secured for participating in the tournament.
Spanish tennis player Carlos Alcaraz secured his spot in the Wimbledon semi-finals for the third year in a row after defeating Britain's Cameron Norrie in a dominant performance on Tuesday. Alcaraz will now face American Taylor Fritz in the semi-finals, with a potential shot at winning his fourth consecutive title this season. Despite facing a tough opponent, Alcaraz is confident in his game and plans to rest and relax with his team and family before the big match.
The city of Jessheim, Norway will host the 2025 Paralympic Winter Games Qualification Tournament from 5-10 November 2025. The six-team round-robin tournament, hosted by the Norwegian Ice Hockey Association, will determine the top two teams that will earn qualification spots for the Milano Cortina 2026 Paralympic Winter Games. With strong competitors such as Slovakia, Norway, Korea, and three teams from the B-Pool World Championships vying for spots, the tournament is shaping up to be an exciting and intense event.
Marble Sands, trained by Fergal O'Brien, beat out odds-on favorite Rare Edition in the Listed Sidney Banks Memorial Novices' Hurdle. Despite his previous loss in the Grade 1 Challow Novices' Hurdle, Marble Sands is now being considered for the Ballymore Novices' Hurdle at Cheltenham after his impressive performance. Harry Cobden also had a successful day, winning the 2m novice handicap hurdle with Artistic Choice and the 2m3½f handicap hurdle with Sonigino for trainer Paul Nicholls.
On his birthday, let's take a look at what made Sourav Ganguly one of the most influential and transformational captains in Indian cricket history. Ganguly's bold leadership, fearless attitude, and eye for young talent have left a lasting impact on the team. He taught them to believe, to fight, and to never be afraid of defeat. Without his contributions, the careers of Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Harbhajan Singh, Zaheer Khan, and MS Dhoni may have turned out very differently. Ganguly's legacy has forever changed the culture of Indian cricket, breaking down barriers of hierarchy and bringing a new level of confidence and aggression to the team.
South African cricketer Wiaan Mulder's unbeaten knock of 367 not out has put him in an elite club of players who have scored 350 or more in a Test match. He is also only the third batsman in Test history to hit 100+ runs in two different sessions of the same innings. With this, he has also broken records for the highest individual South African score in Tests and the highest Test score in Zimbabwe.
On his 44th birthday, MS Dhoni, affectionately known as 'Mahi' by fans, received a flood of well-wishes from fans and former teammates. Among those sending their regards was cricketer Deepak Chahar, who shared a special bond with Dhoni both on and off the field. As one of India's most successful cricket captains, Dhoni has amassed impressive records in all formats, including leading the Indian team to the top of the ICC Test rankings and securing five IPL titles with the Chennai Super Kings.
After a lot of debate and speculation about whether Akash Deep's delivery that clean bowled Joe Root in the recent England-India Test match was a no ball or not, the Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) has officially stated that it was indeed a legal delivery. Despite some confusion regarding the positioning of Deep's back foot, the MCC has clarified that the first point of contact of the foot with the ground is what determines a no ball, not subsequent positioning. The dismissal was a crucial breakthrough for India, helping them to seal a convincing series-levelling win against England.
Akash Deep led the charge for India against England in the second Test at Edgbaston, becoming the first visiting fast bowler to pick a five-wicket haul in the fourth innings at the venue. He finished the match with an impressive 10 wickets and also reached a unique milestone of being the first bowler in 49 years to dismiss four of England's top five batters in an innings on his own. Shubman Gill also played a crucial role in India's victory, earning the player of the match award for his 430 runs throughout the Test. This historic win brings the series level at 1-1 and cements India's dominance in the longest format of the game.
South Africa's stand-in captain Wiaan Mulder created history on the second day of the second Test against Zimbabwe by becoming the fifth-highest individual scorer in cricket history with an unbeaten 367*. Mulder, who also holds the record for the highest individual score by a Proteas batter in Test cricket, came dangerously close to surpassing Brian Lara's legendary 400*, but decided to declare the innings at 626/5. Despite missing out on breaking Lara's record, Mulder's scorching strike rate of 109.88 is the best among all triple-centurions in Test cricket.