Barca pegged back by Osasuna despite Fati heroics

PAMPLONA, Spain: Ansu Fati became the third youngest player to score in La Liga on Saturday but the 16-year-old could not rescue Barcelona from being held to a 2-2 draw away at newly-promoted Osasuna.

Fati equalised five minutes after coming on at half-time and Barca looked likely to complete the comeback when Arthur Melo, also on a substitute, made it two 13 minutes later at El Sadar Stadium.

Yet Roberto Torres, who had given Osasuna an early lead, delivered a twist by scoring a late second from the penalty spot after Gerard Pique handballed. As Barcelona refuse to give up on their pursuit of Neymar before the transfer window closes on Monday, this was another reminder of the talent that already exists in their ranks.

Coach Ernesto Valverde appears ready to look to the future rather than the past, with Carles Perez, a 21-year-old product of La Masia, also providing two assists on his second consecutive start.

He should even have scored the winner but the concern will be that Barca needed Fati and Perez at all, even taking into account the injuries to Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Ousmane Dembele.

Antoine Griezmann put on a statement display in the win over Real Betis last weekend but he was quiet again here and it remains to be seen whether the club’s president Josep Maria Bartomeu feels negotiations for Neymar should now be pushed over the line.

Guillermo Amor, Barcelona’s director of institutional relations, told Movistar on Saturday the deal is not dead.