On matchday 20 of La Liga, Real Sociedad delivered a memorable performance at home, securing a 2-1 win against the Catalan giants, Barcelona, on Sunday. The hosts took the lead in the first half, with Mikel Oyarzábal scoring the opener in the 31st minute, deftly getting past the opposing goalkeeper.
Barcelona struck back in the second half, equalizing the score in the 69th minute through a clever header from Gonçalo Guedes. However, Real Sociedad’s determination shone through when Guedes found the back of the net again in the 75th minute, sealing the match in favor of the home team.
Despite having 25 shots on goal, Barcelona could not convert their opportunities into more goals, with 13 attempts hitting the target, along with three hitting the woodwork and eight going wide.
Gonçalo Guedes was undoubtedly the standout player of the match, scoring two goals, completing seven successful passes, and attempting three shots on goal. Lamine Yamal also put in a strong performance for Barcelona, with 56 successful passes and five attempts on target.
Another highlight from the game was a moment of skill from Barcelona’s Fermín López, who pulled off a nutmeg on Real Sociedad’s Takefusa Kubo in the 65th minute.
Real Sociedad’s head coach, Pellegrino Matarazzo, opted for a tactical setup of 3-5-2, featuring Alex Remiro in goal; Jon Aramburu, Jon Martín, and Igor Zubeldía in defense; Beñat Turrientes, Carlos Soler, Takefusa Kubo, Brais Méndez, and Gonçalo Guedes in midfield; and Mikel Oyarzábal alongside Sergio Gómez in attack.
On the other hand, Barcelona, managed by Hans Flick, employed a 4-5-1 formation with Joan García in goal; Jules Koundé, Pau Cubarsi, Eric García, and Alejandro Balde in defense; Frenkie de Jong, Pedri, Lamine Yamal, Dani Olmo, and Fermín López in midfield; while Ferran Torres operated as the lone striker.
The match was officiated by Jesús Gil Manzano at the Anoeta Stadium.
Looking ahead, Real Sociedad will host Celta in their next match, while Barcelona will face Real Oviedo at home. With this victory, Real Sociedad climbs to eighth place in the standings, amassing 24 points, whereas Barcelona remains at the top with 49 points.
Substitutions for Real Sociedad
57’ 2T – Beñat Turrientes out for Jon Gorrotxategi and Brais Méndez for Álvaro Odriozola.
68’ 2T – Takefusa Kubo out for Ander Barrenetxea and Sergio Gómez for Aihen Muñoz.
81’ 2T – Jon Aramburu out for Duje Caleta-Car.
Cards for Real Sociedad:
36’ 1T Beñat Turrientes (Holding the opponent to prevent progress), 5’ 2T Jon Aramburu (Holding the opponent to prevent progress) and 33’ 2T Igor Zubeldía (Unsportsmanlike conduct).
Sent off for Real Sociedad:
42’ 2T Carlos Soler (Direct red card).
Substitutions for Barcelona
61’ 2T – Alejandro Balde out for João Cancelo.
62’ 2T – Ferran Torres out for Robert Lewandowski and Dani Olmo out for Marcus Rashford.
84’ 2T – Jules Koundé out for Roony Bardghji.
85’ 2T – Pau Cubarsi out for Gerard Martín.
Cards for Barcelona:
36’ 2T Robert Lewandowski (Unsportsmanlike conduct) and 39’ 2T Fermín López (Unsportsmanlike conduct).