Real Sociedad boosted their push for European qualification and dealt Barcelona a significant blow in the title race with a hard-fought 2-1 victory at the Reale Arena, moving the hosts up to eighth in LaLiga. The result leaves Barcelona clinging to a one-point lead at the summit after Real Madrid's 2-0 win over Levante yesterday piled the pressure back on the defending champions, Softfootball reports.
The tone was set from the opening moments in a frantic first half that saw drama arrive almost instantly. Sociedad thought they had stunned Barca inside the opening minute, only for the offside flag to intervene, before Pedri forced an early save at the other end. Barcelona believed they had struck first through Fermin Lopez soon after, but VAR again took centre stage, ruling out the effort for a foul in the build-up.
It became a frustrating pattern for the visitors, as further goals from Frenkie de Jong and Lamine Yamal were chalked off, while Dani Olmo squandered a golden opportunity from close range. Sociedad, under pressure for long spells, struck with ruthless efficiency when Mikel Oyarzabal volleyed home to give the hosts the lead against the run of play. Barcelona's hopes of an immediate response were dashed when a stoppage-time penalty was overturned following another VAR intervention.
