Real Sociedad 1 Barcelona 0: A controversial Lewandowski offside ...

After seven wins in a row, Barcelona fell to a 1-0 loss away against Real Sociedad.

La Real studied the offside trap employed by Hansi Flick’s team and took full advantage on a night when Barca were imprecise in defence and attack. They were poor in passing out from the back, lacked fluidity and looked unbalanced in the final third.

But the game also featured a controversial offside against Robert Lewandowski, whose 13th-minute finish was ruled out after some images appeared to show La Liga’s semi-automatic system mistaking home defender Nayef Aguerd’s foot for his.

Without Lamine Yamal (bruising) and Dani Olmo (stomach problems, although he came on at half-time) in the starting XI, Barcelona seemed to lack fresh ideas. A goal by Sheraldo Becker in the 33rd minute was enough to put an end to Flick’s paradise and hand his team only their third defeat of the season in all competitions.

Are Barcelona too reliant on Yamal?

When the cameras showed Yamal in the stands in the first few minutes, the Barcelona fans who had travelled north to San Sebastian began to applaud and chant. But this was an unusual situation for their 17-year-old star player, who wasn’t even on the bench.

That followed a pre-match statement in which the club announced Yamal was on medical leave due to discomfort after he suffered a “strong bruise” in Barca’s 5-2 Champions League win against Red Star Belgrade in midweek. Today (Monday), he was withdrawn from Spain’s squad for their upcoming Nations League games against Denmark and Switzerland with an ankle injury that is expected to keep him out for two to three weeks.

The winger had travelled with the rest of the team but didn’t recover in time for the game — and his absence was felt.

The two matches he hasn’t played in this season (away against Osasuna in September and this one) have been Barca’s only two losses in La Liga and also their worst two performances. Coincidence? Probably not.

Despite his age, Yamal is a fundamental player for this side. Flick’s team lacked depth last night, something right-back Jules Kounde had to try to provide in his absence.

Barcelona finished a game without any shots on target for the first time since 2014. Raphinha and Lewandowski weren’t at their best, with the questionable offside against the Pole summing up a miserable evening for the Catalans.

0- Barcelona have failed to make a shot on target in a @LaLigaEN match for the second time since at least the 2003/04 season, following a September 2014 game against Málaga at La Rosaleda under Luis Enrique.

Blocked. pic.twitter.com/jUpxM3zKYX

— OptaJose (@OptaJose) November 10, 2024

“It was a goal. It was a wrong decision,” Flick told his post-match press conference. “That was not an offside, but it wasn’t his fault. We have to accept it. It was not our day.”

Lewandowski’s offside (Both images from Movistar Plus)

Was De Jong’s substitution because of an injury concern or a tactical change?

De Jong received a blow in the 25th minute and didn’t look the same afterwards. He was replaced at half-time by Olmo — although it was unclear whether this was because of physical problems or tactics.

The Dutch midfielder is only just back from a long-term injury and could be seen limping slightly as he came out of the dressing room at half-time. But Olmo also showed once again why Barca spent €60million on his signing this summer.

The Euro 2024-winning attacking midfielder had been suffering from stomach problems, which is why he didn’t start the match. But when he did come on, he proved vital between the lines. His arrival also allowed Pedri to play further back, where he is most useful to the team in generating attacks.

But the Olmo effect soon faded, and he couldn’t add to his five goals in all competitions. Real Sociedad’s staunch defending meant the visitors looked uncomfortable, with several of the home side’s players appearing whenever a Barca player got the ball.

De Jong watched all this from the bench with a serious expression. The 27-year-old continues to look cautious when he is on the pitch, protecting his ankle in some one-on-ones and not playing at his full potential. That raises the question of whether he is ready to be a starter in a team where the rest of the midfield has been in great form — apart from this game.

Warrior Cubarsi plays with a swollen face and 10 stitches

Pau Cubarsi was one of Barca’s better players on the night, but he was far from guaranteed to play. The 17-year-old centre-back was left with a bloody face and 10 stitches after taking an accidental boot from Red Star Belgrade’s Uros Spajic in the Champions League on Wednesday.

It seemed obvious Cubarsi would be rested for this match, particularly after Spain coach Luis de la Fuente didn’t call him up to the national team for that reason. But he felt good in training and insisted he wanted to play, so Flick started him.

Wearing a longer-than-usual mask to reach the wounds at his jaw, Cubarsi played without fear. He contested every ball and the mask’s shape meant he didn’t have any visibility problems.

He was perhaps caught out in the build-up to Becker’s goal, but in the closing stages, he pushed forward to try to score a header.

Some Barca fans had already compared him to club icon Carles Puyol, and those parallels looked even more accurate after seeing him play like this. He and Inigo Martinez weren’t unbeatable, as in previous matches, but he was one of the few who emerged with some credit on a night to forget.

What’s next for Barcelona?

Saturday, November 23: Celta Vigo (away), La Liga, 9pm CET (8pm BST/3pm ET)

(Top photo: Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

Before joining The Athletic as a football writer, Laia Cervelló worked at Diario Sport reporting on FC Barcelona for four years. She has also worked for another four years for BeIN SPORTS Spain and GOLTV. She began her career as a journalist at 'betevé', the public television station in Barcelona, where she spent almost nine years.