Real Sociedad 2-1 Barcelona: LaLiga leaders stunned by 10-man hosts
Barcelona saw their nine-game winning streak halted on Sunday, but luck was certainly against them in their defeat by Real Sociedad.
Barcelona missed the chance to restore their four-point lead at the LaLiga summit, following a surprise 2-1 defeat by 10-man Real Sociedad.
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.
