Barcelona vs. Real Sociedad final score: La Liga result, stats Barca go top after battering 10-man Basques

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Barcelona couldn’t really have asked for any more following their midweek turbulence against Atletico Madrid in the Copa del Rey. They replace Diego Simeone’s side at the top of La Liga, are now 15 games unbeaten, and were able to rest a host of key stars ahead of the trip to Benfica as 10-man Real Sociedad toiled manfully. Elustondo’s slightly questionable red card changed a tough test to a walk in the park. Thanks for strolling along with us.

90 mins: Fort has a venomous drive blocked. There’ll be two minutes of added time.

88 mins: Lamine Yamal, who you’d think would have been one of the candidates for a rest, dribbles in-field and finds Lewandowski. He lifts his shot way over. Honestly, this bloke is only any good when his team-mates smash the ball at him.

85 mins: Substitutes combine nicely here as Fermin loops a final ball over to Ferran, who crashes a left-footed shot into the side netting.

79 mins: Ohhhh, that’s a howling miss from Lewandowski. He rises unchallenged at the far post, we’re waiting for the net to bulge but he heads wide.

75 mins: It’s taken on a bit of a testimonial feel now. Hector Fort replaces Cubarsi for the hosts, while Aihen Munoz is on for Real Sociedad striker Oskarsson.

70 mins: Fermin Lopez on for Olmo, who departs to an ovation after claiming two assists and also, of course, instigating Elustondo’s red card when the game was goallless.

67 mins: La Real have not got a handle on Barca’s set-pieces all day. They’re scrambling once more as Olmo sets the ball back to Ferran to fire just wide.

61 mins: GOOOOOAAAAALLLLLL!!!!! Robert Lewandowski!!!!

The best goalscorers will tell you they all count and Lewandowski knew very little about his 21st La Liga goal of the season. Araujo lines up a low drive and it deflects off Barca’s No. 9 to leave Remiro with no chance.

59 mins: Triple change for Barca, with an eye on their midweek engagement with Benfica, no doubt. Ferran, De Jong and Garcia are on for Raphinha, Pedri and Cubarsi.

58 mins: Javi Lopez sticking to his task against Lamine Yamal, who is down and asking for a penalty. But, as the replays confirm, that’s a perfectly timed tackle and a goal kick to La Real.

56 mins: GOOOOOAAAAALLLLLL!!!!! Ronald Araujo!!!!!

The Uruguay international marks his return to the starting line-up with a goal. Remiro make an excellent save to keep to Lewandowski’s header from Raphinha’s corner but Araujo is there to nod home.

56 mins: Pedri clatters the ball against the angle of post and bar! My word, that would have been a stunner.

49 mins: Raphinha clips it through the wall. Remiro is furious with his defenders, and rightly so, as the shot skipped just wide. If that had been on target he was not getting there.

48 mins: Real Sociedad substitute Mariezkurrena brings down Pedri and Barca have a free-kick in a dangerous position, about 25 yards out and slightly to the left.

Kickoff: 2nd Half

Here we go again. Attack vs. Defence resumes! Two changes for La Real as Zubimendi and Barrenetxea make way for Turrientes and La Liga debutant Mariezkurrena.

Halftime

La Real do get through without any further damage and damage limitation will be the order of the day as the game continues to be played almost exclusively in their defensive third. Barring a turn of events infinitely more ludicrous than their 4-4 Copa de Rey draw with Atletico Madrid, Barcelona are heading back to the top of La Liga.

44 mins: Raphinha takes aim and his strike is deflected behind. He’s on corner duty once more. This time a shot from Olmo is blocked.

42 mins: Raphinha’s latest in-swinging corner is glanced away at the new post.

39 mins: Kounde receives a backheel from Lamine Yamal before sending the winger on his merry way with a return pass. The cutback comes to Olmo and Remiro beats away his shot.

38 mins: Lopez half cuts out a pass but if falls invitingly for Lewandowski. Jon Martin throws himself in front of the shot. That’s a great block.

36 mins: Barca not allowing a depleted La Real to breathe. Would be mildly astonishing if they were to get through to halftime without suffering further damage.

29 mins: GOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLL!!!! Marc Casado!!!!!!

Another Barca youngster scores a first senior goal. This one isn’t as picturebook as Martin’s, it’s safe to say. Raphinha’s right-wing corner is cleared as far as Olmo, who thrashes goalwards. Casado stick out a leg and diverts it past Remiro via the inside of his right post.

25 mins: GOOOOOAAAAAAALLLLLL!!!! Gerard Martin!!!!!!

Martin has a first Barcelona goal and it’s a delightful finish. Lamine Yamal dribbl;es to the byline causing his customary havoc. That allows him to set the ball back to Olmo, who has time and space to chip across the box. There’s Martin to dispatch a gorgeous strike on the half volley. This is a long old afternoon in prospect for La Real now.

24 mins: Lamine Yamal clumps one with the outside of his foot that sails through to Remiro. Unsure whether that was supposed to be a cross or a shot.

22 mins: Gerard Martin, who turns 23 yesterday, fires over from the left-hand of the visitors’ box. Pedri, who was standing unmarked, is not expressing happy returns.

20 mins: Not content with largely causing all the hoo-har, Olmo cuts into the Real Sociedad box and fires over.

18 mins: Jon Martin comes on as La Real reshuffled after the red card. Jon Ander Olasagasti the man to make way.

17 mins: ARTIZ ELUSTONDO BRINGS DOWN DANI OLMO AND IS SHOWN A STRAIGHT RED CARD! More drama here as Lewandowski plays through Olmo with a cute pass and Elustondo puts an arm across home to bring him down. Now, Elustondo was the last man… just about. Javi Lopez was in very close attendance. Also, Olmop was still about 40 yards from goal. That feels harsh but VAR upholds Alejandro Quintero Gonzalez.

16 mins: Oskarsson through on goal. He knows he’s offside. He was the only player in the Barcelona half, I think. He thumps against the crossbar. Now the flag goes up. Solid use of everyone’s time.

14 mins: Ohhhh, Remiro is laid back to an almost horizontal degree as he takes the ball in his goalmouth. Pedri closes down his clearance and the relieved Real Sociedad goalkeeper turns to see it loop onto the roof of his net.

11 mins: Pedri swings in a left-wing corner that’s easy enough for Zubimendi to head away from the six yard box. La Real break but Olmo scampers back to avert the danger.

8 mins: Loose ball snaffled by Olmo just inside the Real half. He feeds Lamine Yamal, who cuts inside and looks for a return pass but it runs through to Remiro.

4 mins: Yep, the overlapping Javi Lopez was offside during the build-up. But more back accident than design from a Barca defensive point of view. Perhaps they’re still reeling from that late collapse against Atletico?

3 mins: Sergio Gomez has the ball in the Barcelona net but the offside flag is up! 

Kickoff: 1st Half

Off we go. Half an opening early on for Raphinha but his pass is behind Lewandowski.

5 mins before kickoff: Here come the teams. Are we set for a second thriller in the space of a week in Catalonia? Hansi Flick probably hopes not!

30 mins before kickoff: It will be interesting to see how Barca pull up after their late collapse in the first leg of the Copa del Rey semifinal against Atletico Madrid in midweek. Atleti raced into a 2-0 lead inside six minutes before being dominated for the majority of the contest. Lewandowski came off the bench to make it 4-2, only for late goals from Marcos Llorente and Alexander Sorloth to claim a remarkable 4-4 draw.

1 hr before kickoff: This is how La Real shape up, with the big news that skipper Mikel Oyarzabal is on the bench once more as Orri Oskarsson leads the line.

This La Liga match kicks off in Barcelona at 4:15 p.m. local time.

Here’s how that time translates across some of the major territories:

Aside from the considerable disappointment of the result, Barcelona came through the Atletico cup tie relatively unscathed. Robert Lewandowski came off the bench to score the fourth goal and will rotate back into the starting XI.

A report by Marca in midweek suggested Flick was unhappy with Frenkie de Jong’s defensive application against Atleti. This might ultimately be little more than Madrid-based mischief making, but Marc Casado comes into central midfield in place of the Dutch star

Centre-backs Pau Cubarsi and Inigo Martinez were each on target in midweek but the fit-again Ronald Araujo has been an unused substitute for the past three matches and comes in for the latter. Gerard Martin starts a La Liga game at left-back for the first time in 2025.

Barcelona (4-2-3-1, right to left): Szczesny (GK) — Kounde, Cubarsi, Araujo, Martin — Pedri, Casado — Lamine Yamal, Olmo, Raphinha — Lewandowski

Injured: Ter Stegen (knee), Bernal (knee)
Suspended: None

Igor Zubeldia is back from suspension but there are further disciplinary issues for La Real boss Imanol Alguacil, with Sheraldo Becker and Takefusa Kubo serving domestic bans this weekend.

Sergio Gomez returns on the left wing, with Javi Lopez taking on defensive duties on that flank.

Star men Martin Zubimendi and Mikel Oyarzabal are both ready to go, although the latter is only on the bench as Orri Oskarsson leads the line.

Real Sociedad (4-5-1, right to left):(4-5-1, right to left): Remiro (GK) — Aramburu, Zubeldia, Elustondo,  J Lopez — Barrenetxea, Marin, Zubimendi, Olasagasti, Gomez — Oskarsson

Injured: None
Suspended: Becker, Kubo

Here’s how to watch this La Liga match across selected areas of the world’s major regions: