In the 20th round of La Liga, Real Sociedad proved resilient on their home turf, achieving a hard-fought win against the Blaugrana this Sunday. The first breakthrough for the home team came in the 31st minute of the first half when Mikel Oyarzábal outmaneuvered the rival goalkeeper, giving his team a deserved lead.
Barcelona responded with a momentary equalizer from Gonçalo Guedes in the 70th minute, who cleverly found space for a header after a build-up play. However, Guedes later sealed the victory with a decisive goal in the 70th minute, showcasing his skill and determination.
Despite outshooting their opponents, Barcelona faced a disappointing defeat. They registered a total of 25 shots, with 13 on target, 3 hitting the post, and 8 going off-target.
Gonçalo Guedes was undoubtedly the standout player of the match, scoring 1 goal, completing 7 successful passes, and attempting 3 shots on goal.
Also notable was Lamine Yamal from Barcelona, who successfully made 56 passes and took 5 shots during the game.
An impressive moment came from Barcelona’s Fermín López, who executed a nutmeg on Real Sociedad’s Takefusa Kubo in the 65th minute.
Real Sociedad’s manager, Pellegrino Matarazzo, fielded a tactical setup of 3-5-2, with Alex Remiro in goal; Jon Aramburu, Jon Martín, and Igor Zubeldía forming the defensive line; Beñat Turrientes, Carlos Soler, Takefusa Kubo, Brais Méndez, and Gonçalo Guedes in midfield; and Mikel Oyarzábal and Sergio Gómez leading the attack.
Conversely, Barcelona’s coach, Hans Flick, opted for a 4-5-1 formation featuring 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; with Ferran Torres as the lone striker.
The match was officiated by referee Jesús Gil Manzano at the Anoeta Stadium.
In the upcoming fixtures, Real Sociedad will host Celta, while Barcelona will face Real Oviedo at home.
With this victory, Real Sociedad climbs to the 8th spot in the league with 24 points, while Barcelona remains in a strong position at the top of the table with 49 points.
Substitutions for Real Sociedad
57’ 2H – Beñat Turrientes off for Jon Gorrotxategi and Brais Méndez off for Álvaro Odriozola
68’ 2H – Takefusa Kubo off for Ander Barrenetxea and Sergio Gómez off for Aihen Muñoz
81’ 2H – Jon Aramburu off for Duje Caleta-Car
Yellow Cards for Real Sociedad:
36’ 1H Beñat Turrientes (Holding an opponent to prevent advancement), 5’ 2H Jon Aramburu (Holding an opponent), and 33’ 2H Igor Zubeldía (Unsporting behavior)
Red Card for Real Sociedad:
42’ 2H Carlos Soler (Direct red card)
Substitutions for Barcelona
61’ 2H – Alejandro Balde off for João Cancelo
62’ 2H – Ferran Torres off for Robert Lewandowski and Dani Olmo off for Marcus Rashford
84’ 2H – Jules Koundé off for Roony Bardghji
85’ 2H – Pau Cubarsi off for Gerard Martín
Yellow Cards for Barcelona:
36’ 2H Robert Lewandowski (Unsporting behavior) and 39’ 2H Fermín López (Unsporting behavior)