What a Sunday afternoon it was at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys!
Barcelona fans were treated to a dominant 4-0 display that sent the Blaugrana back to the top of La Liga, with 57 points from 26 games, one point ahead of Atlético Madrid.
The match started as a competitive affair, but everything changed when Real Sociedad’s captain Aritz Elustondo received a straight red card in the 17th minute for bringing down Dani Olmo as the last man.
From that moment on, it became the Gerard Martín and Marc Casadó show, with both youngsters grabbing their first professional goals before Ronald Araujo and Robert Lewandowski joined the party in the second half.
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Real Sociedad Vs FC Barcelona Lineups
The atmosphere was electric at Montjuïc, and Hansi Flick’s men delivered exactly what the home crowd wanted – a statement performance that showcased their title credentials and reminded everyone why they’re firmly in control of the La Liga race with just 12 games remaining.
⚽ Real Sociedad Vs FC Barcelona Timeline
| Min | Event | Player | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3′ | 🚫 Goal Disallowed (Offside) | Sergio Gómez | Real Sociedad |
| 17′ | 🟥 Red Card | Aritz Elustondo | Real Sociedad |
| 25′ | ⚽ GOAL | Gerard Martín | FC Barcelona |
| 29′ | ⚽ GOAL | Marc Casadó | FC Barcelona |
| 56′ | ⚽ GOAL | Ronald Araujo | FC Barcelona |
| 60′ | ⚽ GOAL | Robert Lewandowski | FC Barcelona |
📋 Real Sociedad Vs FC Barcelona Lineups
FC Barcelona (4-2-3-1)
| Position | Player | Substitutes |
|---|---|---|
| GK | Wojciech Szczęsny | – |
| RB | Jules Koundé | – |
| CB | Ronald Araujo ⚽ | (Fort 77′) |
| CB | Pau Cubarsí | (Iñigo Martínez 46′) |
| LB | Gerard Martín ⚽ | – |
| CDM | Marc Casadó ⚽ | – |
| CM | Pedri | (Frenkie de Jong 46′) |
| RW | Lamine Yamal | – |
| CAM | Dani Olmo | (Fermín López 70′) |
| LW | Raphinha | (Ferran Torres 46′) |
| ST | Robert Lewandowski ⚽ | – |
Real Sociedad (4-3-3)
| Position | Player | Substitutes |
|---|---|---|
| GK | Álex Remiro | – |
| RB | Jon Aramburu | (Hamari Traoré 64′) |
| CB | Igor Zubeldia | – |
| CB | Aritz Elustondo 🟥 | – |
| LB | Javi López | – |
| CDM | Martín Zubimendi | (Turrientes 46′) |
| CM | Sergio Gómez | – |
| CM | Pablo Marín | (Jon Martín 20′) |
| RW | Ander Barrenetxea | (Mariezkurrena 46′) |
| ST | Mikel Oyarzabal | – |
| LW | Orri Óskarsson | (Aihen Muñoz 77′) |
🔥 Key Moments Recap
- Early scare turned blessing: Real Sociedad thought they’d taken the lead through Sergio Gómez in the 3rd minute, but VAR ruled it out for offside – a decision that proved crucial in the match’s trajectory.
- Game-changing red card: Elustondo’s straight red card at 17′ shifted the momentum completely when he brought down Dani Olmo as the last man, leaving Sociedad with an impossible task.
- Young guns steal the show: Gerard Martín grabbed his first professional goal with a sweet volley after brilliant work from Lamine Yamal and Dani Olmo, while Marc Casadó impressed with a rare goal from midfield just four minutes later.
- Second-half dominance: Barcelona completely controlled the final period with Sociedad sometimes fielding a back six to try and limit the damage, but the floodgates had already opened.
- Clinical finishing: Lewandowski’s 34th goal in all competitions this season made him the leading scorer in Europe’s top five leagues and cemented another masterclass performance.
⭐ Top Players to Watch
- Ronald Araujo – The defender was commanding at the back and capped off his performance with a goal and an assist, showing why he’s becoming indispensable under Flick.
- Dani Olmo – The summer signing was pulling the strings with two assists, five chances created, and 10 touches in the Sociedad box. Pure class in the final third.
- Lamine Yamal – A constant threat down the flank with creativity and pace, the teenager continues to mature into one of La Liga’s most exciting prospects.
- Marc Casadó – The teenager scored his debut goal and continues to display maturity well beyond his years in Barça’s engine room.
- Robert Lewandowski – Still lethal at 36, the Polish striker’s movement and finishing remain world-class, adding another crucial goal to his tally.
- Mikel Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad) – Despite the defeat, the captain showed glimpses of his quality and remained Sociedad’s most dangerous attacking outlet when they managed to get forward.
📊 Player Ratings
Diario AS rated Araujo, Casadó, Pedri, and Lamine Yamal as Barcelona’s best players against Sociedad, and it’s easy to see why.
Araujo was imperious at the back while contributing in attack, Casadó controlled the midfield with poise beyond his years, Pedri orchestrated play with his typical elegance, and Yamal terrorized the Sociedad defense with his pace and trickery down the right flank.
The quartet embodied everything positive about this Barcelona performance – youth, energy, technical quality, and an unrelenting desire to attack.
🗣️ Final Thoughts:
This victory moved Barcelona back to the summit of La Liga with 57 points from 26 games, one point clear of Atlético Madrid and three ahead of Real Madrid, who suffered a surprise defeat to Real Betis.
What makes this result even sweeter for Culés is how effortless it looked once Sociedad went down to 10 men.
The team’s depth, tactical flexibility, and killer instinct when presented with an advantage all point to a side genuinely capable of ending their La Liga drought.
For Real Sociedad, this was a harsh lesson in how quickly things can change in elite football.
As defender Javi López admitted: “The game completely changed after the red card. Before that, we had the ball, we were imposing our style”.
They’ll need to regroup quickly and focus on their European qualification push, knowing they have the quality to bounce back from this setback.
With 12 games remaining in the season, every point will be crucial in what’s shaping up to be one of the most exciting La Liga title races in recent memory.
