San SebastianAgainst a Real Sociedad reborn since the arrival of Pellegrino Matarazzo on the bench. Against Gil Manzano and Del Cerro Grande. Against mishap and bad luck: up to five shots on the post. Barça battled to win in Anoeta against all odds, but their opponent was more successful in the areas (2-1). Doing much less, the Basque side got much more reward thanks to goals from Oyzarbal and Guedes, which neutralized Rashford’s goal which was only worth a very brief draw. Defeat by a desperate Blaugrana team with the referee’s performance and which closes the day with only one point margin compared to Real Madrid. Those of Hansi Flick fought against the ten plagues of Egypt in their visit to Anoeta and nothing accompanied them.
The Blaugrana tried everything, but they couldn’t get away. They were better than their rival, but did not culminate in the areas, where the games are decided. The duel started enthusiastically, with a first goal disallowed for offside to Oyazarbal and another to Fermín due to a previous foul by Olmo. The Basque captain had headed a cross from Guedes into the back of the net and the Barcelona midfielder had connected a good shot from the front, but the VAR review – the duo Gil Manzano, with Del Cerro Grande in the video refereeing room made Barça tremble – invalidated the play because Olmo had tipped the ball to Kubo giving him a foul. Earlier, Pedri had encountered a good save from Remiro. All this happened in less than 10 minutes, under the rain that did not cease in the sky of San Sebastian.
It hadn’t even reached the half-hour mark when there were up to two more goals disallowed for Barça. The first was resolved quickly: De Jong saw the goal in a clear offside. The next one brought more tail. In a long action, a combination between Koundé and Lamine ended with the French assisting the Catalan, who was in an offside of those who prove that modern football is also loaded with absurdities. If he really was, the Blaugrana 10 was only a hair’s breadth ahead of his marker. Like last season, that time the victim was Lewandowski, from Cerro Grande again denying a goal to the Catalans due to an offside of those that even rubbing your eyes over and over again can never finish confirming.
Lamine Yamal, who else is trying
Almost all the offensive production of a good Barça went through the feet of Lamine Yamal. The winger from Rocafonda, who did not sacrifice a lot in defense, was very active in attack, signing dangerous passes and starring in a couple of actions in which he beat rivals one after the other. His was a key pass in the heart of the area that Olmo finished disastrously. The locals, encouraged at all times by a cheering crowd and wrapped in a festive atmosphere – this Tuesday is the Tamborrada in Donosti -, would be the first to find a reward that the Blaugrana deserve more.
The defense rejected a move from Joan, the ball fell in the center of the field at the feet of Guedes, who faced timid pressure from Kounde and Pedri was able to turn to send a move to Kubo. The Japanese timed the attack well, passing the ball back to Guedes for the Portuguese to send a tense and accurate cross to the far post that Oyzabal headed home. There was nothing Joan could do. The goal was a slap in the face, but the Blaugrana did not flinch and continued to attack. Lamine would be subject to a penalty, but it would be the umpteenth action invalidated by VAR before the break. Zubeldia’s foul was right on target and Gil Manzano pointed to the maximum penalty, but it was disallowed because the winger was offside.
Remiro and the poles shake
At the restart, it would not be the referee’s corrections alone that would deny the Blaugrana a draw, but the wood, first, and Remiro, right after. Barça started very badly. Olmo was the one who scored with the stick, after a long pass from Fermín that Ferran narrowly missed and the Terrasse player didn’t know how to adjust enough when the local goalkeeper was already sold. He would then hit the woodwork again, confirming that the malaise would accompany Barça all night. Although Flick’s men created danger, there was still work to be done. And here the Blaugrana missed the punch from Raphinha. Olmo, the one in charge to replace him, was not right and, in the last action before being relieved, he made a mistake in a counter that had activated Ferran well.
It would also be one of Ferran’s last actions, because Flick introduced Lewandowski, Rashford and made Cancelo’s (re)debut at left back. New faces, but Remiro and the crossbar would continue to do the trick. A cross from Lamine, who was in all of them, was finished by Lewandowski, but the goalkeeper took a brutal hand to deflect a ball that would end up hitting the crossbar. The Blaugrana didn’t know what to do. Based on insistence, Rashorfd would sign the tie after a candy from Lamine. The joy wouldn’t last a minute because Real responded right away, leaving Flick’s team with a nosebleed. Centered from the left Carlos Soler hits a hard shot between Cubarsí and Eric, Joan manages to stop it, but Soler himself collects the rebound to serve the equalizer in Guedes.
With Barça bewildered, Real could have drawn blood, but Oyarzabal shot wide and Cubarsí pulled a ball under the posts. Keeping the score at 2-1 and Soler’s late dismissal allowed the Blaugrana to have faith until the end, but the crossbar would deny Kounde and Rashford an equaliser. It wasn’t Flick’s night, who can’t be blamed for trying until the last minute.
