Real Sociedad defeated Barcelona 1-0 in a tightly contested La Liga match on Sunday, ending Barcelona’s seven-game winning streak across all tournaments. Sheraldo Becker scored the game’s only goal in the 33rd minute, securing the victory for Sociedad. Barcelona, missing the injured Lamine Yamal, struggled to create scoring opportunities and failed to register a single shot on target throughout the match. Notably, both of Barcelona’s league losses this season have come when Lamine Yamal did not start, with previous defeat coming in a 2-4 loss to Osasuna.
HT: Real Sociedad 1-0 Barcelona. Thoughts? pic.twitter.com/Pm8aGq2TZ7
— Barça Xtra (@XtraBarcaa) November 10, 2024
Controversy erupted in the 13th minute when Barcelona’s Robert Lewandowski had a goal disallowed for offside while the score was still 0-0. The VAR decision raised suspicions of a potential error in the offside line measurement, as there was confusion over distinguishing between the boot of Real Sociedad defender Nayef Aguerd and that of Lewandowski. The semi-automated offside system, which relies on multiple cameras around the stadium to pinpoint player positions, was in use, further adding to the scrutiny and frustration surrounding the decision.
The game marked the first time this season that Barcelona failed to score in a La Liga fixture. Hansi Flick’s teams have now been held scoreless in only two matches during his career – Bayern Munich against Leipzig in 2020 and this recent clash with Sociedad.
The result saw Barcelona miss the chance to extend their lead at the top of the table, while second-place Real Madrid capitalized with a 4-0 victory over Osasuna on Saturday, narrowing the gap in the standings to 6 points.