- Barcelona lost 1-0 to Real Sociedad, with a controversial VAR decision disallowing Robert Lewandowski’s early goal.
- Sheraldo Becker scored the only goal of the match in the 33rd minute, giving Sociedad a deserved victory.
- Barcelona played without injured Lamine Yamal and missed the influence of Dani Olmo, who started on the bench.
- Despite their attacking strength this season, Barcelona failed to break down Sociedad’s defense and could not find the net.
La Liga leaders Barcelona suffered a 1-0 defeat at Real Sociedad on Sunday, with Robert Lewandowski’s early goal controversially disallowed following a VAR review.
Sheraldo Becker’s 33rd-minute strike proved decisive, handing Barcelona their second league defeat of the season and leaving them six points clear of second-placed Real Madrid, having played one more match.
The controversy surrounding Lewandowski’s disallowed goal dominated the match’s early moments. The Polish striker thought he had put Barcelona ahead in the 13th minute when he pounced on a blocked shot and scored, but the goal was ruled offside after a VAR review. Referee Guillermo Cuadra Fernandez determined that Lewandowski’s boot was offside, although the striker did not appear to be ahead of Real Sociedad defender Nayef Aguerd. The decision sparked debate, with Spanish media questioning whether the semi-automated offside technology had wrongly interpreted Aguerd’s heel as part of Lewandowski’s boot.
Barcelona’s frustrations mounted as they struggled without the injured Lamine Yamal, who had been sidelined after an ankle injury sustained in the midweek Champions League win at Red Star Belgrade. The team also missed the spark of playmaker Dani Olmo, who started on the bench, and were further hampered by defender Pau Cubarsi, who played in a protective mask after requiring stitches for a facial cut in Serbia.
Real Sociedad, positioned eighth in the table, grew in confidence after the disallowed goal, testing Barcelona goalkeeper Inaki Peña on several occasions. Takefusa Kubo forced Peña into a save with a low drive after a strong dribble, and Becker opened the scoring shortly after. Luka Sucic’s header found Becker in space, and the winger finished calmly to give Sociedad the lead.
Barcelona’s attempts to respond in the second half fell short. Coach Hansi Flick replaced Frenkie de Jong with Olmo at the break, but the Catalans struggled to break down Sociedad’s defense. Becker came close to doubling the lead but shot wide after a challenge from Jules Koundé, and Ander Barrenetxea also missed from a tight angle. Despite Barcelona’s prolific attack this season, having scored 40 goals in their first 12 league matches, they failed to create any significant danger in the final stages.
