Barca conquers dangerous Anoeta with comeback victory
The Catalan team won 2-1 right on the field of their rival Sociedad to continue to lead La Liga.
Goals: Elustondo 12' - Luis Suarez 63', Dembele 66'
Having won or drawn many times when hosting Barca recently, Sociedad started confidently in the match in round 4 of La Liga. It didn't take long for the home fans to have a chance to celebrate when the clock had just struck the 12th minute. From a header returned by Hector Moreno in a free kick situation, Aritz Elustondo comfortably volleyed to open the score.
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Sociedad always play very well when hosting Barca. |
The mentality of the game at Anoeta is a major weakness for Barca and Sociedad's goal only made things worse for the visitors. In the 20 minutes after conceding, Barca fans no longer recognized the creative and powerful team they had in previous rounds. The defending champions had to wait until the 36th minute to have a chance to threaten the home goal thanks to a header from Gerard Pique.
If they had been luckier, Sociedad could have finished the match in the 59th minute. Striker Oyarzabal missed a "golden opportunity" for the home team when he shot over the bar in a one-on-one with Ter Stegen.
Sociedad were unable to extend their lead, and it cost them dearly. Just four minutes after Oyarzabal's miss, the visitors equalised through Luis Suarez. The Uruguayan was quicker to pick up the rebound from a high challenge in the box, and his close-range rebound gave Barca hope.
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Suarez was there at the right time, after Umtiti's aerial challenge, to equalize. Photo:Marca |
Leveraging the momentum, Barca continued to attack effectively and only needed three more minutes to score the second goal. This time goalkeeper Rulli made another mistake by punching the ball from a corner kick - the perfect gift for Ousmane Dembele to score the rebound to seal the 2-1 victory.
The unexpected comeback in the middle of the second half left Sociedad with no time to respond to Barca. The home team only had one more chance but failed with Juanmi's shot. In the offside trap, Sociedad's number 7 striker disappointed with a header that went wide of the post when only goalkeeper Ter Stegen was in front of him.
This is Barca's fourth consecutive win since the start of the La Liga season. The defending champions continue to lead the league with a full 12 points, while rivals Real are still waiting to play Bilbao.
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Dembele (middle) begins to prove his worth to Barca. |
For Barca, the most important thing is the moral victory at Anoeta Stadium. This is a big boost for Valverde and his team before the opening day of the Champions League season next week.
Line-up:
Society: Rulli; Theo, Moreno, Elustondo, Zaldua; Zubeldia, Pardo (Sangalli 83'), Illarramendi (Merino 82'), Zurutuza (Bautista 73'); Juanmi, Oyarzabal.
Barcelona: Ter Stegen; Jordi Alba, Umtiti, Pique, Semedo (Coutinho, min. 46); Rafinha (Busquets 57'), Rakitic, Sergi Roberto; Dembele (Vidal 77'), Suarez, Messi.
