“Hans-Dieter Flick’s team had three goals disallowed by VAR in that game, and several more times the Anoeta hosts’ goal was saved by the frame.”, — write: football.ua
Hans-Dieter Flick’s team had three goals disallowed by VAR in that game, and several more times the Anoeta hosts’ goal was saved by the frame.
Real Sociedad v Barcelona, Getty Images January 19, 2026, 12:13 AM
Once, in this tournament, you could also see Barca’s opponent in the away match of the twentieth round of the national championship, Basque Real Sociedad. But that was the era of Imanol Alguacil, which for the “royals” has remained in the past, while the American Pellegrino Matarazzo has recently led the team, and it is a truly exotic experience for Spanish football. Although at the start of his work in San Sebastian, the team already managed to produce several bright confrontations.
But it was the first time Sociedad met with an opponent of a similar level under this coach, and it was a frank attempt to gamble and win the support of their own fans. Because the hosts of the field gave a very aggressive start to the match, under which they could score as quickly as possible, which they did at the moment with a header under the crossbar from Oyarsabal already in the first minute, but from offside. And to quickly miss, which, in fact, they also did in the seventh minute.
However, Barcelona’s first goal of the game, Fermin’s volley in the box in front of the left post, was canceled out by a foul on Olmo on the left flank shortly before. And this was not the only such episode of VAR interference in the action of the “Blaugranas” in this game. In the 20th minute, the Catalans scored again, but de Jong from offside in the center of the penalty area finished Pedri’s throw from the right edge of the attack, and in the 27th minute, Yamal’s goal was canceled due to a millimeter offside on the spikes at the moment with a rebound from Kunde already near the right corner of the foreign goalkeeper.
And against this background, Sociedad’s goal in the 32nd minute, by the way, was completely clean, for the first time in this match, when Gedesh’s pass from the right wing to the far post under Oyarsabal’s shot, looked like a real surprise, because at that moment the guests literally surrounded the foreign penalty area, but again caught a counterattack in return.
This changed everything in a strategic dimension, but not in a practical one – Barcelona remained at the goal, and only by a miracle did Sociedad keep this advantage until the break. Because VAR had to be called in again when awarding a penalty for Subeldia’s foul against Yamal on the left flank of his own possession, when Lamin was once again offside. And it was also not without Remiro’s heart-breaking jumps against opponents’ blows, which became more and more numerous after the break.
And there, the posts and the crossbar of the host’s goal began to join the team of Matarazzo to the rescue, so everything worked in favor of the San Sebastian team. Almost everything, because in the 70th minute Rashford blocked Yamal’s pass from the right wing at the far post, and it began to seem that Barcelona should now push this game to victory altogether.
However, instead, the Catalans conceded for the second time in a moment, when the center of the defense initially allowed Soler to play twice at the near post during a cross from the left wing, and if Joan García parried the first shot, then when the opponent on the rebound passed to Gedes from the distance, the goalkeeper was already out of action. After that, Sociedad closed down a lot in defense and the same thing happened when Kunde hit the crossbar with a header. And there, even before Soler was sent off for a tackle from behind against Pedra, who almost broke it, it didn’t take long for itself. However, Flick’s team was never saved, so the intrigue continues.
In the next round, Basque side Real Sociedad host Celta Vigo, while Catalan side Barcelona play at home to Real Oviedo after traveling to Slavia Prague in the UEFA Champions League.
Real Sociedad — Barcelona 2:1
Goals: Oyarsabal, 32, Gedesh, 71 — Rashford, 70
Real Sociedad: Remiro – Aramburu (Chaleta-Tsar, 82), Subeldia, J. Martin, Gomez (Muñoz, 66) – Kubo (Barrenechea, 69), Turrientes (Horrochategui, 58), Soler, Mendez (Odriosola, 58) – Gedesh, Oyarzabal.
Barcelona: J. Garcia – Kunde (Bardaggi, 85), E. Garcia, Kubarsi (J. Martin, 86), Balde (Cancelou, 62) – Pedri, Olmo (Rashford, 62), de Jong – Yamal, Torres (Lewandowski, 62), Fermin.
Warning: Turrientes, Aramburu, Subeldia — E. Garcia, Lewandowski, Fermin
In the 88th minute, Carlo Soler (Real Sociedad) was sent off (gross foul).