Barcelona fell to a 1-0 defeat against Real Sociedad on Sunday evening, recording their first loss at Anoeta since 2016.
The Catalan giants looked business as usual when they traveled to face Real in the league, missing Lamine Yamal, 17 years old. The usually reliable stars Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha could not get anything past the Society, while Barca failed to manage a single goal for the first time in 31 years.
The league leaders will be delighted to see an international break around the corner after looking tired and sloppy.
How the game developed
It was end-to-end football from the compensation in the Basque Country.
Barcelona thought they had run away with an early lead just minutes into the clash, the forward claimed Lewandowski fired a shot into the back of the net. The Catalan side enjoyed some momentary celebrations before VAR ruled the Polish international’s effort offside.
Clearly motivated by Barça’s effort, Sociedad took action. Takefusa Kubo almost put his side ahead on the half hour, firing a left-footed strike from the right side of the box towards Inaki Pena. The Barcelona striker made a smart save to deny the home side the advantage, but it didn’t take long for the Sociedad’s effort to materialize.
Sheraldo Becker tallied his goal moments later, beating Pau Cubarsi in the box before sending the ball into the bottom right corner of the net.
Real set the tone for the rest of the half, dominating possession and ending Barça’s hopes of stealing one. The visitors were lucky to return to their dressing room just one goal behind the high-flying hosts.
When the game resumed, Barça they still seemed a long way from their usual grandeur. They struggled to keep possession, create chances and ultimately threaten their opponents.
The Catalans couldn’t find a way to get back into the game, as almost every player on the pitch was unable to push any forward play. As the minutes ticked by, it became clear that Real had derailed the Spanish leaders.
Barça entered the international break in November after their second defeat in the 2024/25 League.
GK: paint ink – 6/10 – A very inconsistent display from Pena between the sticks. His distribution and willingness to clear the ball outside the area proved dangerous on multiple occasions, while his inability to cope with the high pressure of the Sociedad made him a liability at times.
RB: Jules Kounde – 5/10 – The usually reliable Kounde looked wobbly when faced with La Real’s attack. He often seemed stuck on the right, trying to play the ball forward while none of his teammates got ahead of him.
CB: Pau Cubarsi – 5/10 – Cubarsi was nervous, perhaps after his midweek injury. He made a few line-breaking passes, but was no match for Becker’s size.
CB: Inigo Martinez – 6/10 – Like his teammates, Martinez had an unusually poor start. He looked sluggish when forced to compete with Real’s midfielders and misplaced important passes.
LB: Alejandro Balde – 5/10 – bucket he missed almost all of his crosses and struggled to facilitate any chances for his team. The left-back struggled to get past Kubo, allowing his opponent to run away with chances,
DM: Marc Casado – 6/10 – He seemed to look more confident when Dani Olmo entered the game at half-time, but he made almost no impact in midfield. Cascado refused to engage in any useful duel.
DM: Frenkie de Jong – 4/10 – De Jong played just 45 minutes but had a very long afternoon against La Real. Fitness issues have plagued the midfielder and once again he was hesitant to stick around. He left the field in discomfort.
RW: Fermín López – 4/10 – He entered the game in place of Lamine Yamal, but did not compare to the talented youngster. López didn’t offer a single chance or shot on goal, offering nothing from the right.
AM: Stones – 6/10 – Moved to the left side of the pitch in the second half and was able to offer more from there. He was forced to cover for some of his colleagues, leaving behind his usual duties.
LW: Raphinha – 6/10 – Struggled to receive any service from his teammates and therefore struggled to attempt any shots in the final third. His technical ability only went so far in this game.
ST: Robert Lewandowski – 5/10 – He was unlucky to see his first attempt ruled out for offside, but Lewandowski had almost no involvement in the game after his first strike.
Substitutes
SUB: Dani Olmo (45′ for De Jong) – 5/1
SUB: Ansu Fati (68′ for López) – 6/10
SUB: Gavi (84′ for Kounde) – N/A
SUB: Pau Victor (90′ for Pedri) – N/A
Unused substitutes: Sergi Domínguez, Ander Astralaga, Wojciech Szczesny, Andreas Cuenca, Gerard Martin and Pablo Torre.
manager
Hansi Flick – 5/10 – Flick will be delighted to see the November international break on the horizon after Sunday’s defeat. His team looked tired and weak against Real.
