Real Sociedad found the antidote against Barcelona. Not only He defeated him, and he did it deservedlyhe subdued him, made him useless and only in the last minutes did he have to defend too far back, but that was also how he knew how to contain the leader.
The offside was this time against Barcelona in the goal disallowed by Lewandowski, who again caught a loose ball in the area after a rebound from Zubeldia. The review showed that the Pole was in an illegal position due to the toe of his boot. It is the machine that “speaks” and the referee, Cuadra Fernández, did not validate the point, although the controversy arose because some players like Iñaki Peña consider that the technology confused Lewandowski’s boot with that of the central Aguerd. The goal would surely have calmed down a team that was being neutralized. With their usual daring style, Real complicated the Blaugrana with very advanced pressure. The public had a great time shouting at Iñigo Martínez (he played for Real and went to Athletic Club) and when the centre-back, not finding his freed teammate, raffled off the ball. Each split ball was celebrated almost like a goal. Barça could not conquer its rival’s field, therefore it could not dominate through possession or quick recovery. It is easier to organize around the ball and without it imbalances can occur, as happened in the home goal. La Real forced Iñaki Peña to play long and the return clearance was won first by Sucic, over Casadó, and Becker finished it off, coming from behind and sneaking between Koundé and Cubarsí.
He had already had an important opportunity as soon as he started, when Casadó, this time from below, grabbed the ball from Sucic when he was about to shoot. At the origin was Kubo, who completed an immense performance. The San Sebastian team had with the Japanese what Barça lacked without Lamine Yamal: overflow. Kubo gave Bucket and everyone else a hard time, with his twists and skill. He had the opportunity to score with a shot and was the one who led the counterattack that Oyarzabal wasted when everyone was chanting what would have been the second realistic goal. Barça had only come close when a corner was rebound, which Casadó almost sent into the net.
Becker also “snuck in” in the first action of the second half, but rushed in the shot. Dani Olmo had already joined Barcelona, and his first interventions were promising, but he also ended up swallowed up by the intensity of Real Sociedad. The Basque team came out with the same desire and the same idea from the locker room, without the goal they already had ahead altering them in any way. With that plan he had gotten there and it was not the time to abandon it. At times, it was helplessness that was seen in the team that is dominating the championship. The ball was put into play, all the footballers were deployed and the Barça players could not find a free teammate in any way, there was always a blue and white shadow.
Flick’s boys had to play from above, waiting for a volley from Lewandowski, a magic touch that did not arrive. Cubarsí was able to score with a header and Remiro stretched spectacularly to correct a bad clearance by Zubimendi. Barça showed something, but the game belonged to Real, because the few Barça approaches countered clear arrivals into spaces. Becker had another very clear one, Kubo was still everywhere, both attacking and defending, and Imanol was not shy about making four changes at the same time. I needed fresh legs to keep up the energy. Oskarsson was able to escape on a couple of opportunities that Iñigo Martínez solved. The only thing that Real could blame was not having closed the result.
Only with the fatigue at the end and in the final disorder did Barcelona manage to chain passes and put their rival behind, but also there, with sweat and help, they knew how to control the situation and ensure that Remiro did not have to stop anything.