Barcelona secured a 2-0 victory over Real Sociedad on Monday, propelling them to second place in the standings, just one point ahead of their Catalan rivals Girona. Lamine Yamal and Raphinha were the heroes of the match, scoring the crucial goals for Barcelona.
La Real’s hopes of qualifying for the Europa League next season took a hit with their recent defeat, as they now find themselves in seventh place behind Real Betis, who secured a victory on Sunday.
Last season’s champions Barcelona are currently playing for nothing but pride in the final weeks of a disappointing campaign. They must finish above high-flying minnows Girona to salvage even a small sense of accomplishment.
Real Madrid easily secured their title victory after Barcelona suffered a 4-2 defeat against Girona just over a week ago.
Barcelona secured a 2-0 victory over Real Sociedad on Monday, propelling them to second place in the standings, just one point ahead of their Catalan rivals, Girona.
La Real’s hopes of securing a spot in the Europa League next season took a hit with their recent defeat, as they now sit in seventh place behind Real Betis, who emerged victorious on Sunday.
Last season’s champions Barcelona are currently in a position where they have nothing left to play for except for pride. It has been a disappointing campaign for them, and one of their goals now is to finish above Girona, a team that has been performing exceptionally well. This achievement is crucial for Barcelona if they want to salvage even a small amount of pride from this season.
Real Madrid effortlessly secured their title victory as Barcelona suffered a 4-2 defeat against Girona just over a week ago.
Xavi, who has decided to stay in charge for the next season despite initially planning to leave, opted to start defender Inigo Martinez instead of Araujo and placed Pedri Gonzalez in midfield.
The Canary Islander is gradually regaining form and fitness after a series of injury setbacks leading up to Euro 2024 and played a crucial role in Barca’s dominance of the game.
Striker Robert Lewandowski displayed remarkable energy in his team’s pressing, possibly fueled by the competition to become La Liga’s leading scorer.
Marc-Andre ter Stegen made a great save to deny Sheraldo Becker after he broke past Pau Cubarsi, although it seemed like the young defender was pushed by the Suriname international.
Shortly afterward, Becker managed to exploit Barcelona’s high line once more and successfully scored. However, the goal was disallowed due to an offside call, which was the correct decision.
Alex Remiro of Real Sociedad made an impressive save when Yamal attempted a shot, following a successful combination between the 16-year-old winger and Ilkay Gundogan to penetrate the opposing team’s area.
Raphinha’s powerful strike narrowly missed the target as the first half drew to a close, while Gundogan was unable to capitalize on the rebound from an unconventional position.
Real Sociedad failed to take heed of the warning, as Barca quickly took the lead with Yamal’s goal.
Gundogan was set up perfectly by Lewandowski, who played a precise through-ball. The German midfielder then assisted the winger, who confidently scored his fifth goal of the season in the league.
Barcelona displayed a strong start to the second half, as Raphinha made two impressive long-range attempts that came close to finding the net.
Real Sociedad came close to equalizing as Brais Mendez skillfully regained possession and narrowly missed the target, just inches wide of Ter Stegen’s far post.
Remiro denied Barca substitute Ferran Torres and Yamal’s effort was deflected wide after an impressive solo dribble, with the hosts finding it difficult to secure a decisive victory.
Finally, they achieved it after Alvaro Odriozola’s handball resulted in a penalty. VAR intervened, prompting the referee to review the incident well after it happened. Raphinha confidently converted the penalty.