Barcelona player ratings vs Osasuna: Marcus Rashford makes crucial impact off the bench as Robert Lewandowski and Ferran Torres edge La Liga leaders ever closer to the title

With Barcelona still said to be mulling over whether to sign Marcus Rashford on a permanent basis, the on-loan Manchester United attacker provided a timely - and hugely important - reminder of his worth as Barcelona beat Osasuna 2-1 on Saturday evening to move 14 points clear at the top of La Liga. The Blaugrana were struggling dismally to break down their hosts when Flick decided to bring Rashford on midway through the second half of the game in Pamplona.

Then, with just nine minutes to go, Rashford showed remarkable composure and accuracy by waiting until the perfect moment before swinging in a cross with his right foot - and with very little backlift - that Robert Lewandowski headed home to belatedly break the deadlock. A suddenly invigorated Barca doubled their advantage just moments later when some good pressure high up the pitch led to a turnover that allowed Fermin Lopez to put Rashford's fellow substitute, Fermin Lopez, through to score.

Osasuna pulled a goal back with two minutes of normal time remaining, when Raul Garcia powered home a terrific cross from Abel Bretones, but Barca hung over to secure a victory that means that if Real Madrid do not defeat Espanyol on Sunday, the Catalans will be crowned champions of Spain for the second consecutive season. Even if los Blancos to triumph, it would merely mean that the Blaugrana would have the chance to clinch the title in front of their own fans - and against their most hated rivals - in next week's Clasico at Camp Nou.

Below,

Goalkeeper & Defence

Joan Garcia (7/10):

One of Barca's better players on the night. The former Espanyol goalkeeper made a couple of decisive stops in the first half.

Eric Garcia (4/10):

Fair to say the suspended Jules Kounde was sorely missed. The Frenchman's replacement was repeatedly caught out of position and also offered nothing going forward. A fully deserved booking for a reckless challenge summed up his evening.

Pau Cubarsi (6/10):

Solid enough overall but was turned inside-out by Budimir before the Croat struck the post.

Gerard Martin (6/10):

Kept things nice and simple with his passing but he really doesn't inspire confidence - particularly with his positioning. Indeed, Martin wasn't on the same wavelength as Cubarsi on several occasions, which resulted in Osasuna breaking the Barca offside trap more than once.

Joao Cancelo (5/10):

Just like Garcia, guilty of leaving far too much space in behind him, even if the high line is a key part of Barca's game. Even more surprisingly, Cancelo struggled to contribute offensively.

Midfield

Gavi (6/10):

Played with his usual aggression, which meant he won plenty of duels but also picked up a booking that made his early withdrawal inevitable.

Pedri (7/10):

Barca's most creative player by some distance, Pedri was involved in everything positive that the visitors did, but even he was nowhere near his brilliant best.

Dani Olmo (5/10):

Popped up in some dangerous positions with his intelligent movement and also created one clear sight of goal for Lewandowski but he flattered to deceive for the most part - as he so often does.

Attack

Roony Bardghji (3/10):

Nobody expected him to deliver a Yamal-like performance but the Dane produced a dismal display by any metric. Saw plenty of the ball but did nothing with it before being replaced on the hour after failing to create a single chance and completing just one dribble.

Robert Lewandowski (7/10):

Went agonisingly close to scoring with a thunderous first-half strike but made no mistake after being out in the area by Rashford. May not be as mobile as he once was but still knows how to time a run.

Fermin Lopez (7/10):

Always looked capable of making something happen, so no surprise to see him set up Torres for Barca's crucial second goal with a perfectly weighted through-ball.

Subs & Manager

Marcus Rashford (7/10):

Made a massive impact off the bench by waiting and waiting and waiting before whipping over the most delightful cross for Lewandowski.

Ferran Torres (7/10):

Replaced the ineffective Olmo just after the hour mark and immediately added an extra edge to Barca's attack before making it 2-0 late on.

Frenkie de Jong (6/10):

Unsurprisingly introduced in place of Gavi, who was on thin ice because of his booking, and brought more control to the proceedings.

Ronald Araujo (N/A):

Brought on for Garcia late on.

Marc Bernal (N/A):

Took over in midfield from Pedri, who took a heavy knock not long before.

Hansi Flick (7/10):

Credit where it's due, the German's changes made all the difference, with Rashford creating the opener for Lewandowski and Ferran netting Barca's second.