Barcelona travelled to Osasuna on Saturday looking to make it nine straight wins in La Liga this season.
The Catalan outfit dominated possession in the first period, but could not force an opening with the scores level at the interval.
Barca had the best of the opportunities in the second half, but could not make the breakthrough as Osasuna claimed an unlikely point.
Here, Sports Mole dissects the 90 minutes of action between the two Spanish rivals.
Match statistics:
Osasuna:
Shots: 4
On target: 1
Possession: 24%
Corners: 2
Fouls: 13
Barcelona:
Shots: 9
On target: 3
Possession: 76%
Corners: 5
Fouls: 6
Was the result fair?
Barcelona might have dominated the possession this evening, but they did not do enough to deserve all three points from their trip to Pamplona. Osasuna managed just the one shot on target, however, and it would have been harsh had Barca not taken something from their travels. The point would have felt like three for those connected with the home side, there is no question about that.
Osasuna's performance
Osasuna are not the most technically gifted or the most skilled team in La Liga, but they deserved a point this evening for their pure desire. You could have been forgiven for thinking that they would tire in the latter stages after putting in such a shift, but they managed to quell their opponents all evening. After a shaky start, they have started to find some form in La Liga, moving away from the bottom three in the process.
Barcelona's performance
Barcelona's winning run this season was always going to come to an end at some point, but few predicted that it would happen at Osasuna. It was the manner of the draw that would have frustrated their manager, with their inability to break through a stern defence. Even Lionel Messi, who returned to action from the bench, could not force the issue. However, there was one major positive, with centre-back Carlos Puyol making his long-awaited comeback.
Sports Mole's man of the match
Alejandro Arribas: The 24-year-old's style of football is not the most pleasing on the eye, but he was just sensational this evening. He did not need to offer too much on the ball, rather provide the last line of defence. That was indeed the case as the Spaniard made challenge after challenge throughout the 90 minutes.
Biggest gaffe of the match
Cesc Fabregas had a golden chance to send Barcelona into the lead in the early stages of the second period, but he fired high and wide of the crossbar from inside the box. Martin Montoya was also guilty of losing possession far too often in the final third.
Referee performance
Pedro Perez had a fairly comfortable 90 minutes of action this evening. He issued just five yellow cards despite a number of late challenges, with the Spaniard prepared to let the match flow when he deemed necessary. Overall, neither manager would have had any complaints about his performance.
What next?
Osasuna: Osasuna will attempt to return to winning ways when they make the trip to the Estadio Ramon to face Sevilla next Sunday.
Barcelona: The Catalan outfit face a trip to AC Milan in the Champions League on Tuesday, before welcoming Real Madrid to Camp Nou for El Clasico next Saturday.
Matt Law
