LALIGA: Jordi Alba scores late winner as Barcelona edge Osasuna 1-0

Barcelona secured a 1-0 win against Osasuna in LaLiga on Tuesday, thanks to Jordi Alba’s late strike at Camp Nou.

Despite playing with a one-man advantage for most of the game after Osasuna’s Jorge Herrando was sent off in the 26th minute, Barcelona struggled to break down the visitors’ resilient defense.

The game’s only goal came in the 85th minute, as Alba slotted a low finish past Aitor Fernandez at the near post. The win takes Barcelona to 82 points and keeps them in the hunt for their first LaLiga title since 2018-19, potentially just a couple of games away from securing it.

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The game burst into life in the first half when Herrando was sent off for bringing down Pedri as the last man, and Barcelona went close through a Raphinha free-kick that hit the crossbar.

They still looked below their best, and the closest they came to scoring in the first half was through Ronald Araujo’s low header from a set-piece. With the man advantage, Barcelona improved after the break, but it was not until the 85th minute that they found the breakthrough.

Alba’s goal was a relief for Barcelona and their fans, who feared the game would end in a draw after Ferran Torres was flagged offside, denying Robert Lewandowski a goal that would have put Barcelona in front earlier in the second half.

Despite struggling against Osasuna, Barcelona’s win keeps the pressure on Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid in the LaLiga title race.