Lamine Yamal Sparks Barcelona's Thrilling 2-1 Comeback Victory Over Real Sociedad
Barcelona staged another remarkable comeback this week, overturning a one-goal disadvantage to triumph 2-1 against Real Sociedad in their opening match of the campaign at Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.
With an extensive injury list and additional tactical rotations by Hansi Flick, Barcelona fielded just four of their usual starting eleven. Roony Bardghji earned his second appearance for the team while 17-year-old Dro Fernández made his maiden official start wearing the Blaugrana jersey.
Real Sociedad packed the middle of the park to prevent Barcelona from finding rhythm in central positions. Any attacking threat the home side could muster in the early stages had to originate from wide areas.
Marcus Rashford was presented with an excellent opportunity to break the deadlock early on, but a superb stop from Álex Remiro prevented the English forward from scoring his inaugural La Liga strike.
Despite Barcelona's lack of clear-cut chances, they maintained possession and tempo. Nevertheless, it was Real Sociedad who struck first. During a swift counter-attack, Ander Barrenetxea effortlessly escaped Jules Koundé's attention and delivered a fierce low ball across goal that Mikel Oyarzabal converted to give his side the lead in the 31st minute.
Flick's squad reacted positively after falling behind. While Remiro maintained his exceptional performance, he couldn't prevent Jules Koundé from rising majestically to convert a Marcus Rashford corner delivery, leveling the contest before the interval.
Approximately 10 minutes into the second half, Lamine Yamal made his first appearance since August. Within moments of his introduction, he outmaneuvered Sergio Gómez to deliver an inch-perfect cross that Robert Lewandowski powered home with his head to seal Barcelona's turnaround.
Securing the advantage wasn't enough for the home team. Barcelona continued generating numerous opportunities as Real Sociedad left gaps in their defensive structure. However, Remiro's goalkeeping masterclass persisted, keeping his team competitive with a series of crucial stops.
During the closing stages, Takefusa Kubo nearly restored parity but his effort crashed against the woodwork. Merely 30 seconds afterward, excellent combination play between Yamal and Ferran Torres presented Lewandowski with a golden chance, yet his close-range attempt also struck the crossbar, preventing Barcelona from doubling their lead.
Los Blaugranas managed the final moments effectively and secured victory to maintain their perfect record in 2024-25. This triumph propels Barcelona above Real Madrid to the summit of La Liga after seven matches.
Individual player assessments from the encounter are listed below.
Barcelona Player Ratings vs. Real Sociedad (4-2-3-1)
*Ratings provided by FotMob*
Position / Player | Ratings (Out of 10) |
|---|---|
GK: Wojciech Szczęsny | 6.7 |
RB: Jules Koundé | 7.9 |
CB: Ronald Araújo | 7.6 |
CB: Andreas Christensen | 7.6 |
LB: Gerard Martín | 7.7 |
CM: Frenkie de Jong | 7.9 |
CM: Pedri | 8.4 |
RW: Roony Bardghji | 7.4 |
AM: Dro Fernández | 7.2 |
LW: Marcus Rashford | 7.9 |
ST: Robert Lewandowski | 8.3 |
SUB: Dani Olmo (46' for Dro) | 7 |
SUB: Lamine Yamal (58' for Bardghji) | 7.6 |
SUB: Eric García (78' for Martín) | 6.2 |
SUB: Ferran Torres (78' for Rashford) | 6 |
SUB: Marc Casadó (90' for Pedri) | N/A |
Subs not used: Diego Kochen (GK), Eder Aller (GK), Jofre Torrents, Pau Cubarsí, Marc Bernal, Antonio Fernández.
Player of the Match: Pedri
Real Sociedad (4-1-4-1): Álex Remiro; Álvaro Odriozola, Igor Zubeldia, Duje Ćaleta-Car, Aihen Muñoz; Jon Gorrotxategi; Gonçalo Guedes, Pablo Marin, Beñat Turrientes, Ander Barrenetxea; Mikel Oyarzabal.
Subs: Sergio Gómez, Takefusa Kubo, Carlos Soler, Brais Méndez, Umar Sadiq.