FC Barcelona fell to a gritty 2-1 loss against Real Sociedad in San Sebastián, halting their dominant streak frustratingly.
Mikel Oyarzabal opened the scoring with a sharp left-footed volley from Gonçalo Guedes’ cross following a swift counter-attack.
Barcelona fought back and leveled the score through Marcus Rashford, set up by a clever assist from Lamine Yamal.
However, Sociedad responded almost immediately, with Guedes restoring the lead after a precise pass from Carlos Soler.
Despite controlling possession and creating several clear chances, Barcelona were frustrated by Sociedad’s disciplined low block, multiple disallowed efforts, and wasteful finishing.
The defeat halted their strong run and exposed ongoing issues defending quick transitions.
A tough but well-earned result for the home side.
Here are the Barcelona player ratings:
Joan García (7/10)
Solid in goal with a couple of key saves to keep it from getting worse.
Couldn’t do much about the precise cross and volley for the goal, exposed by the high line.
Jules Koundé (5.5/10)
Tried to organize the backline but got caught out on the switch of play, leading to the goal.
Struggled with recovery pace against quick, wide threats like Kubo and Guedes.
Pau Cubarsí (6/10)
Showed composure on the ball and won some duels in a tough environment.
Positionally sound most of the time, but part of the line that was bypassed on the counter.
Eric García (6/10)
Battled hard but looked uncomfortable against the direct balls over the top.
Poor tracking allowed space for Oyarzabal to arrive unmarked at the back post.
Alejandro Balde (6/10)
Pushed forward well and added width on the left in attack.
Defensively vulnerable when caught high during transitions.
Frenkie de Jong (6.5/10)
Controlled midfield tempo with good passing and tried to break lines.
Couldn’t fully protect the defense when the press was beaten.
Pedri (7.5/10)
One of the brighter sparks with creative touches and vision in tight spaces.
Lacked the final killer pass as Sociedad sat deep and frustrated the build-up.
Dani Olmo (6.5/10)
Threatening with shots (one off the post) and movement in the final third.
Frustrated by the lack of service and the compact block.
Fermín López (6/10)
Energetic off the ball and pressed well in phases.
Limited impact in creating clear chances against the low block.
Ferran Torres (5.5/10)
Worked hard but couldn’t find rhythm or space to exploit.
Missed key opportunities and looked off the pace in front of the goal.
Lamine Yamal (7/10)
Dangerous on the right with dribbles and threats that forced saves/blocks.
Unlucky not to create more, as final decisions or crosses didn’t quite land.
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