Barcelona’s seven-game winning streak in all competitions has come to end and the Blaugrana will remain just six points clear at the top of the The League table thanks to a 1-0 loss away to Real Sociedad at Anoeta on Sunday evening. Barça made a good start and had an early goal taken away by a ridiculous VAR decision, and collapsed from there to suffer a bad defeat in one of their worst performances of the season.
FIRST HALF
Barça made a good start on the road, with control of the ball and good movement up front to create chances. Their passing from the back was also on point, and it was an outrageous pass by Pau Cubarsí from his own half that started an attack that ended with Robert Lewandowski’s opening goal, which was somehow ruled out by VAR in a decision that made absolutely no sense even with the benefit of the semi-automated system, which showed the Polish striker was kept onside by his defender the entire way.
After the controversial way in which their opening goal was called off the Blaugrana began to struggle, losing possession in bad positions and allowing The Royal to grow into the game with their high press and quick forwards finding spaces in behind Barça’s high line to create chances.
They were not afraid to press Barça goalkeeper Iñaki Peña, and that’s what led to the opening goal as a long kick by Peña came back from the Sociedad defense and Sheraldo Becker was left all alone inside the box to find the bottom corner and put the visitors in front.
The game went into complete chaos after the Sociedad goal as Barça lost all sense of composure as they searched for an equalizer, leaving plenty of space in behind for counter attacks. Mikel Oyarzabal missed a gigantic opportunity to double the Sociedad lead on the break, and Barça were very unlucky to still be in the game at halftime.
Hansi Flick had a lot of work to do in the dressing room to help his team regain their composure and put some quality back into their play, and the Blaugrana looked in serious risk of a defeat at the half.
SECOND HALF
Flick made a halftime substitution with Dani Olmo replacing Frenkie de Jong, moving Pedri back into a double pivot with Marc Casadó and leaving Raphinha, Olmo and Fermín López as the creative trio in behind Lewandowski. The Catalans came out more aggressive with their pressing and more direct with their attacking play, looking to create as many chances as they could as quickly as possible.
Cubarsí missed an easy header just five minutes in, and Becker missed a big one himself at the far post shortly after as both sides traded opportunities early in the period. Sociedad remained the better side to begin the final half, stopping Barça from creating major chances and disrupting the Blaugrana’s possession as the home team looked favorites for the win at the hour mark.
Flick made another change with 20 minutes to as Ansu Fati come on for Fermín look to add more scoring punch in the final third, but the Blaugrana continued to struggle to move the ball away from The Royal’s pressing to even get into the final third. Sociedad looked very close to getting the all-important second goal, but they couldn’t wrap up the win and things were still open with 10 minutes to go.
Flick went all-in with his third change of the night as Gavi replaced Jules Kounde and Casadó played the dying seconds as a make-shift right-back, while Sociedad did everything in their power to defend, slow down the pace of the game and maybe get one more on the counter.
Pau Víctor even came on as a second striker in added time, but Barça couldn’t find the equalizer and the final whistle came to sentence their second league defeat of the season.
This was a deserved loss on the balance of play, but the VAR controversy undoubtedly had a huge impact on the result and the flow of the game. We’ll never know if Barça would have played better had their goal (correctly) stood, but the desperation and lack of quality when trailing is an indication that things might have gone differently.
The international break comes at a good time to avoid the frustration carrying over, and Barça can focus on returning to their best selves in two weeks.
Royal Society: Remiro; Aramburu (Elustondo 61'), Zubeldia, Aguerd, Muñoz (López 84'); Méndez, Zubimendi, Sucic (Gómez 61'); Kubo, Oyarzabal (Oskarsson 62'), Becker (Barrenetxea 61')
Goal: Becker (33’)
Barcelona: Rock; Kounde (Gavi 84'), Cubarsi, Inigo, Balde; Married, De Jong (Elm 46'); Fermin (Fati 69'), Pedri (Victor 90+1'), Leaf; Lewandowski
Goals: None
