Osasuna stuns Barcelona 4-2 and stops it from tying club record for best season start

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Bryan Zaragoza scored one goal and set up another to spark Osasuna's stunning 4-2 win over Barcelona on Saturday, dealing the Spanish league leader its first loss.

The lightning-fast forward on loan from Bayern Munich crossed for Ante Budimir to open the scoring in the 17th minute. Zaragoza then showed some fancy high-speed dribbling to round goalkeeper Iñaki Peña on the break for 2-0 in the 28th.

Barcelona was playing with three youth players and one, Pau Víctor, pulled one back for the visitors in the 53rd, but Budimir earned and converted a penalty to put the result beyond doubt in the 72nd. Osasuna's Abel Bretones made it 4-1 in the 85th and substitute Lamine Yamal scored Barcelona's second goal.

Barcelona recorded wins in the first seven rounds. An eighth victory would have equaled a club record established in 2013. Barcelona lost its opener in the Champions League 2-1 at Monaco last week.

“It hurts. We wanted to make it eight of eight, but we didn’t play our best game,” said Barcelona forward Ferran Torres, who hit the post late.

Barcelona remained atop the league at four points ahead of Real Madrid before the defending champion visits Atletico Madrid in a derby on Sunday. Osasuna moved into sixth place and stayed unbeaten in Pamplona in this campaign with four wins and a draw.

Zaragoza stunned Barcelona when he cut back from the left corner to open space before whipping in an in-swinging cross past marker Jules Koundé. Budimir did the rest by shouldering Pau Cubarsí out of the way and thumping his header off the turf and beyond the reach of Peña.

It was soon 2-0 when Osasuna recovered the ball midfield and Pablo Ibánez immediately launched Zaragoza on a quick attack with a long pass that played him clear behind the defensive line.

Zaragoza showed why Bayern signed him by feinting a shot before performing a rollover while at full speed to glide past Peña and poke the ball home.

“We had to go out there to bite,” Zaragoza said.

He enjoyed a breakout 2022-23 season at Granada where he scored 11 goals before he was signed by Bayern on a contract through 2029. But after only seven appearances for the German powerhouse, it sent him to Osasuna to gain playing time. His goal against Barcelona was his first since his return to La Liga.

Facing a third league game in a week, Hansi Flick rotated his lineup by leaving Yamal, Raphinha, Íñigo Martínez and Alejandro Balde on the bench. In their place, Flick once again dipped into Barcelona’s youth squad and gave starts to 19-year-old Sergi Dominguez and 22-year-olds Víctor and Gerard Martín.

But a backline with Martín and Domínguez and the 17-year-old Cubarsí, and anchored by Peña making his second start in place of the injured Marc-Andre ter Stegen, was not up to the pressure of El Sadar.

“It is normal that we have rotations, we play lots of games,” Barcelona’s Pedri González said. “It It can’t be an excuse. The 11 of us had to go out there ready to play, but the halftime score was too much.”

Next for Barcelona is Young Boys in the Champions League on Tuesday.

Colombia midfielder James Rodríguez made his first start since he joined Rayo Vallecano, in a 1-1 draw with Leganes.

Real Sociedad beat Valencia 3-0. Getafe beat Alaves 2-0 at home.

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

Barcelona's Lamine Yamal reacts at the end of a Spanish La Liga soccer match after loosing against Osasuna at El Sadar stadium in Pamplona, Spain, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Miguel Oses)

Barcelona's Pedri reacts during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Osasuna and Barcelona at El Sadar stadium in Pamplona, Spain, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Miguel Oses)

Barcelona's Pedri reacts during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Osasuna and Barcelona at El Sadar stadium in Pamplona, Spain, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Miguel Oses)

Barcelona's Lamine Yamal reacts at the end of a Spanish La Liga soccer match after loosing against Osasuna at El Sadar stadium in Pamplona, Spain, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Miguel Oses)

Osasuna's Bryan Zaragoza scores his side's second goal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Osasuna and Barcelona at El Sadar stadium in Pamplona, Spain, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Miguel Oses)

Barcelona's Alejandro Balde fights for the ball against Osasuna's Juan Cruz during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Osasuna and Barcelona at El Sadar stadium in Pamplona, Spain, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Miguel Oses)

Barcelona's head coach Hansi Flick sits at the bench during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Osasuna and Barcelona at El Sadar stadium in Pamplona, Spain, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Miguel Oses)

Barcelona's Pau Cubarsi fights for the ball against Osasuna's Enzo Boyomo during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Osasuna and Barcelona at El Sadar stadium in Pamplona, Spain, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Miguel Oses)

Osasuna's Ante Budimir scores his side's third goal from a penalty kick during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Osasuna and Barcelona at El Sadar stadium in Pamplona, Spain, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Miguel Oses)

Barcelona's Pablo Torre is tacked by Osasuna's Lucas Torro during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Osasuna and Barcelona at El Sadar stadium in Pamplona, Spain, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Miguel Oses)

Osasuna's goalkeeper Sergio Herrera reacts during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Osasuna and Barcelona at El Sadar stadium in Pamplona, Spain, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Miguel Oses)

Osasuna's Bryan Zaragoza fights for the ball against Barcelona's Jules Kounde during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Osasuna and Barcelona at El Sadar stadium in Pamplona, Spain, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Miguel Oses)

Osasuna's Bryan Zaragoza scores his side's second goal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Osasuna and Barcelona at El Sadar stadium in Pamplona, Spain, Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024. (AP Photo/Miguel Oses)

PHOENIX (AP) — UConn's Geno Auriemma was not a happy man.

With the officiating. With his team's performance. With South Carolina coach Dawn Staley.

The Huskies coach ripped into the officiating during a live TV interview and then had a heated argument with Staley in the final seconds of their 62-48 loss to the Gamecocks. But a rough night for UConn stars Sarah Strong and Azzi Fudd was the main cause of the Huskies' poor showing in the national semifinals of the women's Final Four on Friday night.

A minute after his sideline blowup, Auriemma stalked off the floor alone, stewing over the nightmare performance.

Fudd — a senior — shouldered the blame, saying she felt she let the team down.

“I thought some of our shots were a little rushed, some of our offense was a little rushed, out of pace,” Fudd said. “But when we got a lot of good looks, a lot of shots in our offense, shots that we are used to taking, we just didn’t hit very many.”

The Huskies hadn't faced much on-court adversity this season, winning almost all of their previous 38 games by a lopsided margin. Once it hit on Friday, UConn wasn't able to respond.

Auriemma said the officiating didn't help.

“There were six fouls called that quarter — all of them against us," Auriemma said on the broadcast at the end of the third quarter. "And they’ve been beating the (expletive) out of our guys down there the entire game. I’m not making excuses, ’cause we haven’t been able to make a shot. But this is ridiculous.

“Their coach rants and raves on the sideline and calls the referee some names you don’t want to hear. And now we get 6 to 0, and I got a kid with a ripped jersey, and they go, ‘I didn’t see it.’ Come on, man. It’s for a national championship.”

Auriemma wasn't finished showing his displeasure. The 72-year-old coach walked toward Staley in the final seconds of the game before the two had an angry exchange, with assistants having to get in between them. Auriemma blamed the dustup on Staley not following the proper protocol for a pregame handshake.

Once the game finally ended, Auriemma slowly walked off the court and down the tunnel without a postgame handshake with the Gamecocks. The teams did shake hands.

UConn has relied all season on Strong and Fudd, a pair of All-America selections who were steady throughout the season. Against South Carolina, Strong finished with just 12 points on 4-of-16 shooting. Fudd scored eight on 3-of-15 shooting, including 2 of 9 from long range.

The Huskies' lone offensive bright spot came midway through the third quarter. Kayleigh Heckel, Blanca Quiñonez and Fudd each hit a 3-pointer in a 90-second span to cut the deficit to 40-39, but UConn was never able to take the lead. South Carolina took a 44-39 advantage into the fourth quarter and slowly pulled away.

UConn scored just nine points in the fourth, shooting 2 of 14 from the field. The 48 points were easily a season low. The Huskies were also dominated on the glass, with South Carolina holding a 47-32 advantage.

It's true that it was a physical game. Bodies were flying under the basket for the majority of the night for both teams. UConn was whistled for 17 fouls, while South Carolina was called for just eight.

The problem for Strong and Fudd was they couldn't hit shots even when they had a little space to operate. The 6-foot-2 Strong — AP's Player of the Year — was bothered by South Carolina's interior size, with several of her inside shots rattling in and out.

“Well, sometimes we do forget she’s a sophomore,” Auriemma said. “She’s carried a huge load for this team. An awful lot falls on her. Tonight she’ll be the first to tell you that she is not proud of how her game went today.”

Strong's teammates couldn't pick up the slack. Ashlynn Shade finished with 10 points and Quiñonez added seven. Heckel missed a layup late in the game and the broadcast showed her starting to cry walking back down the court.

Teammates encouraged her and one even lifted her chin, but the damage was done.

UConn’s 54-game winning streak is over.

AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness

UConn head coach Geno Auriemma reacts after during the second half of a woman's NCAA college basketball tournament semifinal game between UConn and South Carolina at the Final Four, Friday, April 3, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley, left, and UConn head coach Geno Auriemma argue after a woman's NCAA college basketball tournament semifinal game at the Final Four, Friday, April 3, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley, left, and UConn head coach Geno Auriemma argue after a woman's NCAA college basketball tournament semifinal game at the Final Four, Friday, April 3, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

UConn head coach Geno Auriemma motions towards the court during the first half of a woman's NCAA college basketball tournament semifinal game between UConn and South Carolina at the Final Four, Friday, April 3, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)

UConn head coach Geno Auriemma reacts after during the second half of a woman's NCAA college basketball tournament semifinal game between UConn and South Carolina at the Final Four, Friday, April 3, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

UConn head coach Geno Auriemma reacts during the second half of a woman's NCAA college basketball tournament semifinal game between UConn and South Carolina at the Final Four, Friday, April 3, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Ross D. Franklin)

South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley, left, and UConn head coach Geno Auriemma argue after a woman's NCAA college basketball tournament semifinal game at the Final Four, Friday, April 3, 2026, in Phoenix. (AP Photo/Rick Scuteri)