Newly-crowned LaLiga champions FC Barcelona suffered a 2-1 defeat to Real Sociedad at the Camp Nou on Saturday night.
LaLiga
Result: Barcelona 1-2 Real Sociedad
Date: 20 May 2023
Venue: Camp Nou
Barca made three changes after they were crowned champions with a win over Espanyol, as Franck Kessie, Jordi Alba and Ousmane Dembele were all recalled in place of the suspended Gavi, Pedri and Ronald Araujo.
Sociedad were full of energy early on as Mikel Merino gave them the lead within five minutes with a first-time strike that went in between the legs of goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen from a cross by Alexander Sorloth.
Blaugrana were also lively going forward as Dembele had a chance to equalise on 15 minutes after a deep cross by Robert Lewandowski but his first-time shot was kept out by the agile legs of shot-stopper Alex Remiro.
Imanol Alguacil's charges took control of the game after that as Momo Cho came the closest to giving them a two-goal cushion on the half-hour mark with a low strike that was kept out of goal by the trailing leg of Ter Stegen.
The Catalan giants raised their game towards the end of the first stanza, with Dembele particularly giving the Sociedad defence a tough time but his final ball let him down as the hosts went to the break trailing by an odd goal.
Barca had a slow start in the second stanza, as Sociedad were all over them and Xavi made a double attacking change just after the hour-mark to jack up the performance going forward as Anssumane Fati and Ferran Torres both came on for Kessie and Raphinha.
However, the visitors remained persistent on the ball and Sorloth should have doubled their lead a couple of minutes later after his downward header at the back post missed narrowly wide from a deep cross by Takefusa Kubo.
Barca got their rhythm back in possession of the ball after that but they were caught on a counter-attack with 18 minutes remaining as Sorloth went clear on goal and slotted a low shot past Ter Stegen in a one-on-one.
Sociedad defended deep after that but could not keep a clean-sheet as Lewandowski pulled a goal back for Blaugrana in the last minute with a well placed header in the box from a cross by Torres.
Barca were spirited to rescue a point but the visitors kept it tight with a compact shape and got the three points that consolidated their position in the UEFA Champions League places.
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