Real Sociedad 2-1 Barcelona: Barca winning run ends as Oyarzabal & Rashford net

Marcus Rashford came off the bench to score for Barcelona but the La Liga leaders lost an incident-packed game at Real Sociedad.

Match Report

Goncalo Guedes scored the winner at the Estadio Municipal de Anoeta, where Hansi Flick's side had three goals disallowed and struck the woodwork five times as their nine-game winning streak was halted.

La Real thought they had taken the lead inside the opening minute, but Carlos Soler's thumping finish was chalked off for offside.

Fermin Lopez and Lamine Yamal also saw goals ruled out for offside at the other end following VAR reviews, while Frenkie de Jong was also thwarted by the linesman's flag.

The hosts broke the deadlock in the 32nd minute with Mikel Oyarzabal thumping home a stunning volley from Guedes' cross.

Barca were then denied a penalty in first-half stoppage time with Yamal deemed to have drifted offside in the build-up, while Real Sociedad goalkeeper Alex Remiro tipped efforts from Dani Olmo and Robert Lewandowski onto the woodwork after the break.

The visitors finally equalised in the 70th minute with Marcus Rashford nodding home Yamal's cross, but La Real regained their lead within 60 seconds when Guedes volleyed in after a goalmouth scramble.

Barca struck the woodwork again through Jules Kounde's header, and the hosts were reduced to 10 men as Soler received a second yellow card for fouling Pedri, but they held out for a hard-earned victory.

Data Debrief: Real Sociedad strike it lucky

Pellegrino Matarazzo is the fourth Real Sociedad boss this century to avoid defeat in each of his first three LaLiga games in charge, after Roberto Olabe, Raynald Denoueix and Imanol Alguacil.

But it is safe to say the hosts, who generated 1.01 expected goals (xG) to their opponents' 3.69 and had just 27.3% of possession, were blessed with an element of good fortune.

Indeed, Barca became the second team in Europe's top five Leagues to hit the woodwork five times in a single game and still lose, after Brighton suffered the same fate against Manchester United in September 2020.

Match Events

0' The match is about to start!

1' Oyarzabal glances a header into the back of the net but he's miles off

2' Match Event for Real Sociedad vs Barcelona

5' Olmo looks to place one into the top corner but there's not enough pace on it

9' Fermin Lopez's opener is chalked off for a foul on Takefusa Kubo

19' You could hear gasps in the stadium as Lamine Yamal went past half the team

22' Frenkie de Jong has the ball in the back of the net but he's offside

23' Yamal threads a beauty of a ball into the box for Olmo but he sweeps it over bar

30' Yamal scores but it's ruled out for offside

32' GOAL! Oyarzabal opens the scoring for hosts first! Real Sociedad 1-0 Barcelona

47' Yamal squares it for Olmo at the far post and he hits the post

49' Another chance for Lamine Yamal but Remiro reads it and makes a great save

50' Barca hit the post for the second time in two minutes and it's Dani Olmo again

52' Yamal gets down in the box but no penalty after VAR review

54' Ferran Torres controls, turns and shoots but Alex Remiro gets down well to it

60' A chance for Yamal from the free-kick but he goes over the bar

65' Lewandowski, Rashford and Cancelo replace Balde, Olmo and Torres

70' What a save from Remiro to deny Lewandowski's header!

72' GOAL! Rashford heads to equalize from Yamal's cross! Real Sociedad 1-1 Barcelona

73' GOAL! Guedes fires hosts back to lead so quickly! Real Sociedad 2-1 Barcelona

77' Zubeldia sends a chip over the keeper but it's headed off the line

78' Match Event for Real Sociedad vs Barcelona

87' Cancelo sends in a cross to Kounde who connects with header but it nails the bar

88' Soler is shown a straight red card for a hard challenge on the ankle of Pedri

93' Highlight from Real Sociedad vs Barcelona

Line-ups

Real Sociedad XI: Álex Remiro, Guedes, Mendez, Oyarzabal, Soler, Zubeldía, Takefusa Kubo, Sergio Gómez, Jon Aramburu, Beñat Turrientes, Jon Martín

Subs: Caleta-Car, Odriozola, Elustondo, Aihen Muñoz, Luka Sucic, Ander Barrenetxea, Unai Marrero, Mikel Goti, Jon Karrikaburu, Pablo Marín, Jon Gorrotxategi, Job Ochieng

Barcelona XI: Olmo, De Jong, Ferran Torres, Kounde, Eric Garcia, Pedri, Joan García, Balde, Fermín López, Yamal, Cubarsi

Subs: Szczesny, Lewandowski, Ter Stegen, Cancelo, Rashford, Araujo, Casado, Roony Bardghji, Gerard Martín, Bernal