Barcelona – Real Sociedad: First Half Goals Sufficient As Barcelona Show Signs Of Revival (2-1)
Strikes from Jordi Alba and Frenkie de Jong proved sufficient for Barcelona to beat Sociedad, but what truly impressed was the dominant nature of this win. Better spacing on the pitch and dynamic ball movement demonstrated what Ronald Koeman’s side can do, as they stacked up the shot count though without the required clinical edge.
Tactical analysis and match report by Manasvin Andra.
In a typical season, Barcelona versus Real Sociedad might have been important to examine whether the Catalan club could hold off Real Madrid as they chased the league title. However, in these unprecedented times, football has decided to flip the script, as it is Sociedad who were under pressure to put away the home side and continue their astonishing tilt towards the title.
Imanol Alguacil’s side came into this match looking off-color, as a run of six draws across all competitions has brought some grimaces when compared to the liveliness of the early part of the season. Still, their sparkling attack and stout defense had the potential to turn the situation around, and Alguacil accordingly named a strong side in his usual 4-3-3 shape.
Goalkeeper Alex Remiro was protected by a defense of Nacho Monreal, Robin Le Normand, Igor Zubeldia and Andoni Gorosabel. The midfield consisted of Mikel Merino and Ander Guevara either side of Martín Zubimendi, with Portu, Willian José and Adnan Januzaj making up the attack.
When compared to the visitors, Barcelona look almost decrepit, with the recent injection of youth unable to lift the gloom that has settled in since the 8-2 capitulation against Bayern Munich and Lionel Messi’s subsequent request to depart the club. Despite their strong underlying . . .
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