Real Sociedad beat Barcelona 2-1 at Reale Arena in San Sebastian on Saturday night. The home side ended Barcelona’s 11-game winning run with goals from Mikel Oyarzabal and Gonçalo Guedes. Marcus Rashford scored for Barcelona, who recently won the Copa del Rey, but his equalizer lasted just one minute.
Heavy rain fell throughout the match, making the pitch slippery. Oyarzabal opened the scoring in the 32nd minute with a close-range volley. Guedes crossed from the left, and the Sociedad captain finished cleanly. Barcelona controlled most of the ball but could not break through in the first half.
Hansi Flick brought on Rashford as a substitute in the second half. The England forward made an immediate impact and headed home from a Lamine Yamal cross in the 70th minute. The stadium went quiet as Barcelona looked set to continue their winning streak.
Quick Response: Guedes Restores Sociedad Lead
Sociedad struck back within 60 seconds. Carlos Soler shot at goal, and Barcelona keeper Joan Garcia spilled the ball. Soler recovered quickly and crossed to Guedes,who volleyed in from close range. The 71st-minute goal put Sociedad back in front and crushed Barcelona’s momentum.
Barcelona threw everything forward in the final 20 minutes. Dani Olmo hit the woodwork twice while Robert Lewandowski saw his header tipped onto the post by goalkeeper Alex Remiro. The visitors hit the frame of the goal at least four times in the second half but could not find an equalizer.
VAR played a big role in the match. Fermin Lopez had a goal ruled out in the seventh minute after Olmo fouled a defender in the buildup. Barcelona also had a penalty appeal overturned when Yamal was ruled offside. Sociedad saw an early Oyarzabal header disallowed in the opening 30 seconds.
Carlos Soler got sent off in the 88th minute for a studs-up challenge on Pedri. The referee showed a straight red card, and Barcelona played the final minutes with an extra man. Nine minutes of stoppage time were added, but Sociedad defended well to hold on for all three points.
La Liga Table Impact After Sociedad’s Win
The result tightened the La Liga title race. Barcelona stay top with 49 points, but Real Madrid are just one point behind on 48. Atletico Madrid and Villarreal both have 41 points. Sociedad climbed to eighth place and stretched its unbeaten run to four matches under coach Pellegrino Matarazzo. The title battle in Spain mirrors the intensity seen in other major football tournaments worldwide.
Remiro made several key saves to deny Barcelona. He stopped Olmo and Lewandowski multiple times while his teammates blocked shots on the line. Frenkie de Jong said after the match that Barcelona deserved to win based on their chances. He praised Remiro for his great performance.
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End of Barcelona’s Unbeaten Run
Barcelona had not lost in 12 matches before this defeat. Their last loss came over two months ago. The winning streak helped them build a lead at the top, but this setback gives Real Madrid hope. Barcelona face pressure to respond quickly in their next league match.
Sociedad’s tactics worked perfectly in the wet conditions. They sat back and absorbed pressure before hitting Barcelona on quick breaks. Guedes was involved in both goals with his assist for Oyarzabal and his winning strike. The Portuguese forward proved to be the match-winner.
Rashford nearly forced an equalizer in stoppage time, but his effort clipped the post. Pau Cubarsi made a crucial goal-line clearance to stop Oyarzabal from scoring a third. Both teams had chances, but Sociedad made theirs count when it mattered.
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