Real Sociedad stopped Barcelona at the Reale Arena 1-0 in a match in which Imanol Alguacil knew how to deactivate Flick’s system and spice up LaLiga. Barça goes into the break as the leader, but gives ground to their pursuers and tightens the table before the break and breaks a winning streak of seven games in a row. The match will be marked by the controversy that remained to be seen in the VAR. That the machine seems to point out something that is debatable. He finished. It happened in Lewandowski’s goal that was disallowed and that could have made it 0-1. But if you look at the game as a whole, it is nothing more than just another curiosity in the Celtiberia Show of national football. Real Sociedad was much better, they were able to win by more goals and deactivated a Barcelona team that did not like the north on all lines.
The first news of the match was announced an hour before it started.. Lamine Yamal, who had not trained with the team the day before, was dropped from the squad. He wasn’t even on the bench. Dani Olmo, with gastroenteritis on Friday, was waiting his turn. Flick had to redo his usual drawing. The usual defense with the masked Cubarsí and his nine stitches on his face, De Jong in the center of the field as a litmus test with Casadó and Pedri and in attack, Raphinha remained on the left and Fermín moved to the right accompanying to Pichichi Lewandowski.
At Real, Imanol’s surprise was the configuration of the left wing. Ahien Muñoz and Becker entered. Oyarzabal began to play as a false nine in search of breaking the offsides of the Blaugrana defense. A player much more ready for these tasks than Oskarsson. But the surprise was Becker, undetectable by the culé defense.
Imanol’s Real Sociedad showed from the beginning that they had a plan to face Barcelona. Another thing is that he could maintain it the entire game.
The match was settled in a duel between possession and effectiveness. The two factors a priori favored Barcelona, but in the first act there was an unexpected twist in the script. Lewandowski struck first, but The VAR annulled, possibly by making a mistake on his feet and confusing the Real Sociedad defender’s foot with that of the Barça forward, the Pole’s first goal. And from there, the Blaugrana fell apart and Real ate Flick’s team.
Iñaki Peña saved Barcelona after a foul by Brais and a raid by Kubo, but he could no longer prevent Becker’s progression. The goalkeeper was the origin of the disaster. He misplayed a ball in his area that Sucic beat Casadó and enabled Becker to score 1-0.
As much as Barça wanted recover, it was impossible having Frenkie de Jong on the field. An unbearable burden that he did not win a duel, that he lost balls and that he failed once again at the moment of being decisive. Play with more fear than a protagonist of Scary Movie. And that’s not possible.
Barcelona finished the worst first half that is remembered in the season, being thankful that in extra time Oyarzabal did not commit a counterattack in which Pedri and Lewandowski got involved like a blind.
Flick, after arguing with the referee before starting the second half due to the mystery of the VAR line, took Frenkie de Jong off the field, an absolute disaster, to bring on Dani Olmo. La Real still did not slow down. Iñaki Peña saved the 2-0 against Becker, a nightmare from the second line.
Barça began to press and Remiro had to save a goal that was poisoned after a defender’s rebound and Fermín missed the tie after a great play by Olmo. Imanol, who does not mess around, renewed half the team with four changes. He had enough to resist and not struggle until the end.
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Changes
Dani Olmo (45′, Frenkie de Jong), Aritz Elustondo (60′, Jon Aramburu), Ander Barrenetxea (60′, Sheraldo Becker), Sergio Gomez (60′, Luka Sucic), Orri Óskarsson (61′, Mikel Oyarzabal), Ansu Fati (68′, Fermín López), Javi Lopez (83′, Aihen Muñoz), Gavi (83′, Jules Koundé), Pau Victor (90′, Pedro)
Goals
1-0, 32′: Sheraldo Becker
Cards
Referee: Guillermo Cuadra Fernández
VAR referee: Carlos del Cerro Grande, Gonzalo García González
Jon Aramburu (19′, Yellow), Inigo Martinez (52′, Yellow), Bras (81′, Yellow), the black (86′, Yellow)