The least worrying defeat in history: the immediate aftermath of Real Sociedad - Barça

BarcelonaBarça lost the First league match since the defeat In the Clásico at the end of October last year, despite being the better side against Real Sociedad, Hansi Flick's men failed to capitalize on their chances (2-1). They also failed to do so in the final stages, playing with ten men after Carlos Soler's dismissal. Here are some immediate observations.

Zero drama. Barça were infinitely better than Real Sociedad, but dropped three points that keep Real Madrid's La Liga title hopes alive. If only we could always lose like this. Dominating the game. Creating countless scoring opportunities. Silencing the opposing crowd with their football and intimidation, based on well-placed passes and dazzling dribbling. Shooting relentlessly and turning the opposing goalkeeper into a hero. It's hard to imagine a more honest and less worrying defeat for a team that shouldn't budge an inch from what they're doing if they want to be unchallenged in La Liga. There won't be shit-meter neither funk who can handle Flick's proposal. And Gil Manzano, luckily, there's only one.

Undetectable. A right thigh injury forced Raphinha off the Barcelona plane. Faced with this setback, Flick had the option of moving Rashford to the left wing or shifting Ferran Torres wide and fielding Lewandowski as the main striker. But the German surprised everyone by starting with a double attacking midfield that, despite the unfavorable scoreline, was at times undetectable by the Real Sociedad defense. Olmo debuted as a false left winger and came close to scoring with two shots that hit Remiro's left post. The player from Terrassa wasn't lucky in front of goal, but he displayed very interesting skills in a position that Iniesta, under Guardiola, perfected.

The same old danger. It's bad enough to visit Anoeta when Real Sociedad are at their peak and have Gil Manzano on the referee's whistle and Del Cerro Grande in charge of VAR. Half a half was more than enough to confirm that the match in San Sebastián would present an added challenge for the officiating crew. With the score at 0-0, the referees disallowed a goal by Lamine Yamal for an offside that was imperceptible to the naked eye. And shortly after, they allowed Oyarzabal to put the home side ahead after a foul that went uncalled in the build-up, the same argument they had used minutes earlier to disallow another goal by Fermín. With this pairing, a resounding victory is essential. A draw is not an option. You could easily get burned.

The defense was too soft. Lamine Yamal carried the team on his shoulders, and thanks to him – an excellent assist for Rashford – Barça equalized in a match where many factors were working against them. Just when it seemed another comeback was imminent, Real Sociedad made it 2-1 on the very next play. In the photo of that goal, three players are clearly at fault. The first is Cubarsi, who, two years after his first-team debut, was unlucky in the initial stages of the attack. The second is Koundé, who has a tendency to burn himself out when called upon on the wing. And the third, a classic example: Cancelo's lack of defensive solidity, which left Guedes, the goalscorer, too unmarked for the finish.