Barcelona, Dec. 12 (BNA): Barcelona’s recent young talent goals weren’t enough to save Xavi Hernandez’s side from another disappointment on Sunday after a late shot gave Osasuna a 2-2 draw in La Liga.
Barcelona were up 2-1 after 19-year-old Nico Gonzalez and Abdel Zalzouli scored their first goals since joining the squad from the club’s youth teams this season, according to the Associated Press.
Nico received a pass from Jaffe Baez, a player two years his junior, to put Barcelona ahead in the 12th minute at El Sadar Stadium. Osasuna player David Garcia equalized with a header two minutes later.
Abdo swept a cross from Ousmane Dembele in the 49th minute.
But substitute Shimi Avila managed to reduce the equalizer for Osasuna four minutes before the end of the match with a long-range shot that entered after touching Samuel Umtiti, who suddenly played his first minutes this season with Barcelona in Xavi’s starting lineup.
Nico, Abdi and Jaffe are part of a group of young players, along with injured Pedri Gonzalez, that provide the only bright side to Barcelona’s dismal campaign.
“Fortunately we have our young players because they encourage the team.
“They’re making an extraordinary effort,” Chaffee said. “We have to keep growing, but it will be difficult to get out of this predicament. We need a positive result. We achieved this victory and let it slip.”
Barcelona has won only once on the road in the league this season, after Lionel Messi’s exit.
Barcelona is in eighth place, 15 points behind leaders Real Madrid, who host defending champions Atletico Madrid later on Sunday.
The equalizer in Osasuna came after successive defeats of Barcelona. He had lost 1-0 at home to Real Betis in the league before losing 3-0 to Bayern Munich to be eliminated from the Champions League from the group stage for the first time in 17 years.
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