Marcus Rashford produced a moment of magic off the bench, but it was Real Sociedad who left San Sebastián celebrating after a breathless, controversy‑strewn clash that ended Sociedad 2 — Barcelona 1.
Match recap
The game crackled from the first whistle and never let up. Mikel Oyarzabal opened the scoring with a sumptuous side‑foot volley in the 32nd minute, a finish that looked set to give the hosts control. Barcelona fought back with wave after wave of attack, only to be repeatedly denied by the offside flag and the woodwork.
Seventy minutes in, Marcus Rashford rose to head Barcelona level, his eighth goal since arriving on loan, and the visitors briefly tasted a comeback. The joy lasted less than a minute before Gonçalo Guedes rifled home the decisive strike to restore Sociedad’s lead and ultimately hand the home side the win.
Drama and disallowed goals
This was not a match for the fainthearted. Barcelona had three goals chalked off inside the opening half hour — Fermín López, Frenkie de Jong and Lamine Yamal all saw celebrations cut short by offside calls. Deep into first‑half stoppage time, Barca thought they had won a penalty when 18‑year‑old Lamine Yamal went down under a challenge, but VAR intervened and the spot‑kick was overturned due to an offside in the build‑up.
The second half brought more near misses. Dani Olmo rattled the post twice in quick succession, and substitute Robert Lewandowski had a header pushed onto the bar by goalkeeper Álex Remiro. Jules Koundé’s late header also cannoned back off the woodwork, underscoring Barcelona’s cruel luck.
Turning points and discipline
Rashford’s equaliser was a moment of pure instinct and timing, yet Sociedad’s response was immediate and ruthless. Guedes’ winner arrived almost straight after the restart, a clinical counterpunch that swung momentum back to the hosts.
Tension boiled over late when Carlos Soler received a straight red card for a late challenge on Pedri in the 88th minute. Even with ten men, Sociedad held firm through nine minutes of added time to secure victory.
Implications
The defeat is Barcelona’s third in the league this season. They sit on 49 points from 20 games, just a point clear of Real Madrid, while Sociedad climb to eighth after a statement home win. For Barcelona, the result is a reminder that dominance on paper must be matched by ruthlessness in front of goal and composure when VAR and the offside trap conspire against them.
