Barcelona battled their way to a 2-1 comeback win over Real Sociedad at the Estadi Lluís Companys on Sunday night, a result that sends them top of the La Liga table after seven matches. As expected by Softfootball in the pre-match Preview It wasn’t the easiest of games, but Robert Lewandowski’s header, set up brilliantly by Lamine Yamal, made all the difference for Hansi Flick’s men.
Barcelona were without Raphinha and Joan Garcia, who are also ruled out of the PSG clash, and the visitors capitalised, taking a surprise lead in the 31st minute after Álvaro Odriozola finished off a quick counter-attack, capitalising on a sloppy giveaway from debutant Dro Fernández. For all of Barça’s early pressure and dominance (they had close to 90% possession at one point), they struggled to make it count until the dying minutes of the first half, when Jules Koundé nodded in a powerful header from Marcus Rashford’s corner.
The second half opened up quickly, and Real Sociedad could’ve easily gone back in front when Aihen Muñoz flashed a low cross across the face of goal that no one could finish. But they paid the price moments later. Just seconds after coming off the bench, Lamine Yamal, fresh from his injury layoff, took on his man, danced past him, and sent in a perfect cross for Lewandowski , the Pole didn’t miss, burying his header into the corner.
From that point, Barça grew in confidence. Yamal almost got on the scoresheet himself later on, but his strike was ruled out for offside. Sociedad, to their credit, kept pushing; Takefusa Kubo came close twice, striking the upright and then the crossbar in a nervy finish for the Catalans. Real Sociedad posted the video of the missed chances on their official X account.
They Posted:
Goalkeeper Álex Remiro was probably Sociedad’s best player on the night, pulling off massive saves to deny Rashford and Dani Olmo. Barcelona’s defence looked shaky in spells, with their high line leaving gaps, but Flick’s men managed the game well in the final minutes.
The win now makes it 10 victories in 12 matches at their temporary home ground, Montjuïc, and also extends their dominance over Sociedad, with 27 wins from their last 28 home league meetings.
It wasn’t the prettiest performance, but Barça’s quality and the instant spark from Yamal proved just enough. The youngster’s partnership with Lewandowski continues to grow, and that could be key with PSG coming up next in the Champions League.
What a game! Barcelonas win was like a late-night snack – not the most elegant, but it sure hit the spot and kept them in the lead. Poor Barcelona had to play without a few key players, making it like trying to bake a cake with missing ingredients.
But hey, they fought back with a Lewandowski header that looked like it was cooked just right! Yamal was the hidden gem, a fresh burst of energy in that old engine.
Real Sociedad pushed hard, almost scoring with those near misses, but sometimes the defense has to say, Not tonight! Overall, it was a messy but exciting ride, perfect for a Sunday night. Now, lets hope Barcelona can keep this up, especially with PSG on the horizon. Go Barça, and may your next game be a bit neater!