Undefeated since the start of the season in La Liga, the Catalan steamroller intended to continue its momentum and add an eighth victory to its credit before hosting Young Boys Bern in the Champions League on Tuesday (9 p.m.). However, Hansi Flick’s FC Barcelona stumbled upon a bone in Pamplona. Worse still, the German technician’s team, which made a large turnover, learned a lesson on the Osasuna field by losing with a score of 4 goals to 2. While the ex-coach of Bayern Munich and Germany suffered the wrath of the Spanish press this Sunday, Bryan Zaragoza had mixed fortunes. Aligned on the left wing to support Budimir on the front of the Basque attack, the Spaniard caused a thousand torments to the Catalan rearguard with his liveliness and technical quality.
Regularly using his lane, the 23-year-old winger first placed a perfectly measured cross on the head of his Croatian partner for the Navarrese’s opener after 18 minutes of play (1-0). Very strong, the native of Malaga allowed his team to take the break after a high-class individual performance. Launched at full speed behind the Blaugrana defense, Bryan Zaragoza appeared alone against Inaki Pena, replacing Marc-André Ter Stegen. By means of a sublime hook, the Iberian feinted and pinned the Barça goalkeeper on the spot before finishing in the empty goal (2-0, 28th). A jewel immortalized by the cameras at the edge of the pitch and a first goal in La Liga which risks doing a world of good to the main person concerned.
Bryan Zaragoza finds color in the Basque country!
Dynamo of the Basque attack, Bryan Zaragoza proved decisive in achieving this fourth success of the season for the Pamplona club, which is having a more than attractive start to the season, reflecting its provisional sixth place in the standings. of Liga (while waiting for the Athletic Bilbao match), synonymous with qualification for Europe. “We knew Barça were a difficult team, we had to go out and bite and that’s what we did. Last week I wasn’t bad, this week I’m not good. The second goal came from me, I got it, you don’t learn. I thought about it when I was heading towards the goal. It’s also a bit of instinct, but I have it. I didn’t like the change, I could have done more damage, but another one came out, no problem», Reacted the Spaniard, who had already scored a double against Xavi’s Barça on October 8, 2023, at the time when he was restoring the image of Granada (2-2).
Like his post-match comments, Bryan Zaragoza is gradually regaining his bearings on the other side of the Pyrenees. This bodes well for the 23-year-old who has experienced a major slump over the last six months. Urgently recruited by Bayern Munich to strengthen an offensive sector weakened by injuries in January 2024, the Iberian, despite his undeniable technical qualities, has never been able to perform well under orders. of Thomas Tuchel with only 7 appearances and a total of 171 minutes played. Not entering into the plans of the Bavarian team and its new coach, Vincent Kompany, the Spanish winger was asked to pack his bags in order to find playing time. Loaned by the German club without purchase option to Osasuna , Bryan Zaragoza demonstrates why the Bavarians poached him from Granada last winter. With 8 appearances (including 6 starts for 1 goal and 2 assists) with the Navarrese, the native of Malaga is clearly sending positive signals. It remains to be seen whether they will find echoes in Bavaria.
