Real Sociedad delivered one of the shocks of the LaLiga season with a fearless 2-1 victory over Barcelona at the Reale Arena, climbing into eighth and tightening the Spanish title race. In a night filled with disallowed goals, VAR controversy, woodwork, and late drama, the Basque side stood tall to hand the champions a damaging defeat that leaves them only one point ahead of Real Madrid.
Lightning Start, Relentless VAR Drama
Sociedad thought they had stunned Barça inside 28 seconds, only for the offside flag to crush the early celebration. That moment set the tone for a chaotic first half dominated by VAR interventions.
Barcelona had four separate goals ruled out before the break:
- Fermín López’s strike chalked off after a VAR review for a foul
- Frenkie de Jong denied by offside
- Dani Olmo missing from close range
- Lamine Yamal’s effort also ruled out
While Barça wasted chances, Sociedad punished them clinically. Captain Mikel Oyarzabal ghosted in at the far post to volley home and ignite the Reale Arena just after the half-hour mark. A stoppage-time penalty awarded to Barcelona was also overturned by VAR, leaving the visitors frustrated and trailing at halftime.
Barça Pressure Meets Remiro’s Wall
Barcelona emerged aggressively after the break. Olmo rattled the post within minutes and Ferran Torres forced Álex Remiro into sharp saves as wave after wave came from the visitors.
Xavi’s side (now under heavy pressure in the title run-in) threw on reinforcements just after the hour mark. Lewandowski nearly made an instant impact, but Remiro tipped his powerful header onto the bar.
The equaliser finally came from another substitute, Marcus Rashford, who rose to head home with 20 minutes remaining — seemingly rescuing Barcelona’s night.
Guedes Strikes Back Instantly
Barça barely had time to breathe. Within 60 seconds of Rashford’s goal, sloppy defending allowed Gonçalo Guedes to fire Sociedad back into the lead. The Real Arena erupted again, sensing a famous victory.
Barcelona tried to respond but looked rattled:
- Pau Cubarsí produced a crucial goalline clearance
- Koundé thundered a header off the bar.
- Rashford later hit the post directly from a corner
Even a late red card for Carlos Soler, upgraded from yellow after a VAR review, couldn’t help Barça find another breakthrough in nine minutes of added time.
Title Race Wide Open
This defeat denies Barcelona a 10th straight LaLiga win — something they haven’t achieved since 2016. More importantly, it hands Real Madrid renewed belief in the title chase.
For Sociedad, the win is historic:
- First back-to-back home games unbeaten vs Barcelona in recent years
- Massive boost in their European qualification push
What This Means for Tanzanian Fans
LaLiga continues to deliver drama that Tanzanian football lovers crave — unexpected upsets, VAR controversies, global stars like Lewandowski and Rashford, and a title race now hanging by a thread. Matches like this show why Spanish football remains one of the most-watched leagues in Tanzania.
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