Barcelona’s hopes of extending their lead at the top of LaLiga suffered a setback as they were defeated 2-1 by Real Sociedad at the Reale Arena on Sunday. Despite dominating possession throughout the match, the Catalans could not break down a determined Sociedad defense.
The hosts opened the scoring in the first half when Mikel Oyarzabal volleyed home a precise cross from Gonçalo Guedes in the 32nd minute, giving Sociedad a deserved lead. Barcelona responded quickly, with Marcus Rashford equalizing in the 70th minute, heading in a well-placed cross from Lamine Yamal. It looked as though the visitors might grab a point, but Real Sociedad were not finished.
In the 71st minute, Gonçalo Guedes turned provider as Carlos Soler found the back of the net, restoring Sociedad’s advantage and eventually securing all three points. The home side defended resolutely in the closing stages, with goalkeeper Alex Remiro making several crucial saves to deny Barcelona, including shots from Robert Lewandowski and Dani Olmo. Barcelona pressed hard, hitting the crossbar and forcing a late red card for Carlos Soler after a serious foul, but couldn’t find the equalizer.
The win lifts Real Sociedad to 8th place in LaLiga, moving them closer to European qualification spots, while Barcelona remain top but lose the chance to increase their lead. Despite controlling 72-73% of possession and creating numerous chances, Barcelona’s finishing let them down, showing that possession alone does not guarantee victory.
Overall, it was a strong team performance from Sociedad, mixing smart attacking play with solid defending, while Barcelona will need to regroup quickly if they are to maintain their title charge.
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