Barcelona to face Real Madrid
Robert Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal scored second-half goals to give Barcelona a 2-0 win over Osasuna in a dour Spanish Super Cup semifinal in Saudi Arabia on Thursday.
Barca set up a dream showpiece clash on Sunday with Real Madrid, who had beaten city rivals Atletico Madrid in a breathtaking 5-3 derby earlier in the week. It will be a rematch from last year’s final, which Barca won 3-1. Barcelona dominated possession in a dismal first half but were bereft of ideas and barely threatened their opponents.
Lewandowski could have done better in a few half-chances, which a confident Osasuna goalkeeper, Sergio Herrera, denied. Still, it was not until the 59th minute that Barca came to life and managed to break the deadlock. Ilkay Gundogan picked out Lewandowski with a through-ball, and the striker scored from close range.
However, Osasuna players were fuming and complained to the referee that Barcelona defender Andreas Christensen had fouled Jose Arnaiz before starting the counter-attack. However, a VAR check confirmed the goal. “We felt we were wronged because the refereeing criteria were very different during the match. The foul was clear,” Osasuna manager Jagoba Arrasate told Movistar Plus.
After Lewandowski’s goal, Xavi brought Joao Felix off the bench. The Portuguese forward added impetus Barca seemed to lack up-front, forcing goalkeeper Herrera to make a couple of fine saves to keep Osasuna alive. Joao Felix created a quick counter and assisted Yamal, who blasted low into the net to secure the win and set up an El Clasico in the final.
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