For the third league match in a row, Barcelona were forced to fight back to snatch a victory in order to maintain their comfortable double digit buffer at the top of the Primera División standings.
Following the come-from-behind 2-1 win over Villarreal and 3-1 triumph at Mallorca, this time, Barça threw away the lead against Osasuna and allowed the rock-bottom outfit to surge to a shock 2-1 lead midway through the second half.
But the Blaugrana’s two FIFA World Player of the Year hopefuls, Xavi and Lionel Messi, both struck in the final ten minutes of the game to ensure maximum points for Pep Guardiola’s side.
“We started poorly in the second half, but in the end, we deserved the victory,” said Xavi after the match, before going on to add, “The team have shown that we have great pride and this was reflected during the game.
The 28-year-old did not put too much emphasis on his milestone 300th appearance for the club, which he celebrated with a pivotal goal: “Everything happens very fast and you have no choice but to take it one day at a time.”
Messi, meanwhile, was equally relieved to have avoided an upset as he expressed his delight to have struck the all-important winning goal.
“We knew that it would be a difficult game against a very tough opponent in their home ground. But most important is the win and the three points.
“I was lucky that my shot went in. I am very happy and we are all satisfied with the way we reacted and to win the game this way,” he added.
In regards to one of the controversies during the game, where Osasuna carried on playing despite Barça stopping the game to allow an injured teammate to be attended to, Messi was less than pleased with the opposition.
“Busquets was on the ground and I stopped myself from playing on and they took advantage of this and almost scored a goal.
“The referee later said that the game should have been stopped. That could have really harmed us,” he boomed.
Finally, the 21-year-old spoke about his chances of claiming the FIFA World Player of the Year gong, to be presented later on Monday afternoon.
“I am calm and I’m not too worried about that. Besides, I get to go [to Nyon] with Xavi. The most important thing is that the team wins and everything turns out well for the club,” he concluded.
KS Leong, Goal.com
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