In Matchday 20 of the Spanish league, leaders Barcelona visited Real Sociedad and unexpectedly dropped points — 2:1. The Catalan club tried to control the game and increase the pressure, but that night neither “luck” nor the “small details” went the visitors’ way.
Barca had no luck with offsides. The third party — VAR and the lines — stopped the Catalans several times: 3 goals and 1 penalty were ruled out specifically for offside. For fans, this is more than statistics: every disallowed goal is a “blow” that breaks the game’s rhythm and changes the tempo.
Another notable fact: Barcelona took 25 shots, yet only 1 goal came from those attacks. Chances were there, shots were there, but the finishing wasn’t. In games like this, the rule often applies: “whoever is more clinical wins.” Sociedad took advantage of exactly that.
As a result, Hansi Flick’s team saw its 11-match winning streak across all competitions come to an end. At first glance it looks like “just one defeat,” but in a title race where every point is worth its weight in gold, this match becomes a major signal.
Still, Barca remain top with 49 points. But the gap to Real Madrid (48) has shrunk to just 1 point. That means every round feels like a final. Real Sociedad moved to 24 points, climbed to 8th place, and showed real character at home against a big team.
Oyarzabal opened the scoring in the 32nd minute. The second half got even hotter: in the 70th minute Rashford equalized. But Barca’s joy didn’t last long — in the 71st minute Guedes put Sociedad back in front, and that goal proved decisive.
Late on, both nerves and intensity hit their peak: in the 88th minute Soler was sent off. There were plenty of bookings too — another sign the match had a real “battle” feel.
La Liga. Matchday 20
Real Sociedad — Barcelona 2:1
18 January, Reale Arena
Goals: Oyarzabal (32), Guedes (71) — Rashford (70).
Real Sociedad — Remiro, Aramburu (Chaleta-Sar, 82), Zubeldia, Turrientes (Gorrochategi, 58), Oyarzabal, Guedes, Kubo (Barrenechea, 69), Gomes (Munoz, 69), Soler, Mendes (Odriozola, 58), Martin.
Barcelona — Joan Garcia, Balde (Cancelo, 62), Cubarsi (Martin, 85), Eric Garcia, Kounde (Bardakchi, 85), De Jong, Pedri, Fermin, Olmo (Rashford, 62), Torres (Lewandowski, 62), Yamal.
Bookings: Turrientes (37), Aramburu (51), E. Garcia (76), Zubeldia (78), Lewandowski (83), Fermin (85).
Red card: Soler (88).
The takeaway: Barcelona did a lot on the pitch — shot, pressed, and dominated possession. But offsides and a lack of precision worked “against them.” Now the most interesting part begins: a 1-point gap in La Liga can change in a week — or in a moment. So for Barca, every minute in the next rounds is a test.
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