The counter-chronicle of Barça – Real Sociedad de Copa: the VAR avoids another blunder by Gil Manzano

the tactic

He did not want to invent anything Xavi Hernandez and opted for the formula of the great appointments. The technician exactly repeated the same eleven from the end of the Super Cup against Madrid. sacrificed to Inaki Pena, until now the goalkeeper of the Cup, and opted for ter Stegen, in an extraordinary moment. He did not take risks in the rest of the positions either, with the most solid defense possible and four midfielders, placing Gavi on the left in the attack with Bucket as a winger, as in the duel against the whites.

The first experiment with that tactic occurred against the Atlético, with an excellent first part and a less good second. Then, he did not have the sanctioned Lewandowski and he started Ansu Fati. The idea was similar to that of this Wednesday, although it was Pedri who played more advanced. Against Madrid the intensity was maintained throughout the match. Xavi took good note and repeated against the San Sebastian team. It worked again. He is the gala eleven.

the scares

Barça clearly dominated and the game looked very good for the Catalans, who had even scored thanks to Lewandowski in a both did not go up to the scoreboard when touching the ball on the back of de Jong, that he was offside. There were also notices of Pedri and Dembélé, but there was no way and the scare, the first serious notice of a Real Sociedad that was able to get ahead perfectly.

A fantastic maneuver Pablo Marin finished with the ball in boots Take Kubo, always motivated when he plays at the Camp Nou. The Japanese launched a left-footed shot that crashed into the crossbar half an hour into the game. The Barcelona goal trembled, but Ter Stegen He kept his angel. Fortune also smiled on Barça when they were already ahead in the second half. Sorloth missed a very clear chance in which it was easier to score than to miss and the German saved the last two against Robert Navarro and Olasagasti.

The controversy

The Red alert It came on when the referee of the match was known. The presence of Jesus Gil Manzano in a Barça match it always carries a certain fear. The history of the Extremaduran leaves no room for doubt. He appeared at the Camp Nou with 33 games for the Barça club and 10 expulsions, including the last one Lewandowski in Pamplona. Messi Neymar and Luis Suarez were others punished.

Solo Lopez Nieto (11 reds) surpasses Gil Manzano in this negative section against Barça. This Wednesday, however, he changed the script. He expelled Bras in the 40th minute for a reckless tackle on Busquets. Of course, the VAR had to intervene. The Murcian Jose Maria Sanchez Martinez, with good judgment, notified him so that he could review the action. It wasn’t easy, but Gil Manzano changed his initial yellow for red. The fans received him with a monumental whistle.

The best

When Dembele’s He has a lucky night, Barça notices it. The French winger is usually always the player most unbalancingbut on many occasions the balance of successes and errors it balances more than necessary. Against Real Sociedad, however, niceties abounded and inaccuracies were conspicuous by their absence. El Mosquito was the best of the game and left applauded.

From the first moment he saw a Dembélé unleashed, wanting to give a joy to the culés fans. Fast, electric and cheeky, he captured all of Barça’s danger and opened the scoring with an excellent shot that he could only touch Remira. He also connected wonderfully with Lewandowski and with Gavi, who sent a shot to the crossbar after a pass from the Frenchman. Ousmane adds eight goals and seven assists this course in all competitions.