A night the Reale Arena had been waiting for. With intensity, fast-paced play, and relentless high pressing, Real Sociedad overcame FC Barcelona, securing the win with a first-half goal by Becker. With a bit more precision in front of goal, the victory could have been even more decisive.
The match kicked off with a good play from Aramburu, whose cut-back pass found Sučić, though he couldn’t finish. As the minutes passed, Barcelona began to control possession, but apart from a narrowly offside goal ruled out by VAR, they didn’t really threaten Remiro. Real Sociedad, quick and precise on the counter, created chances, with Kubo setting up a close opportunity for Oyarzabal that just missed the mark. Shortly after, Brais forced a corner from Peña with a well-placed free-kick. These were Real Sociedad’s best minutes, Kubo nearly scored on a solo effort which was denied by the Catalan goalkeeper. Real Sociedad deserved to be ahead and finally, with a long ball flicked on by Sučić, Becker’s speed gave him the edge to beat the defense and slot a precise shot past Peña, putting Imanol’s side front. The lead could have been extended after a rapid counterattack, but Becker’s cross narrowly missed the captain’s reach, who sent the ball just wide of the post. That could have made it 2-0—a missed chance, but still a well-earned advantage.
The second half started with another chance for Becker, who went for a chip but couldn’t quite get enough power behind it. Barcelona responded with a close-range header from Cubarsí. Real Sociedad kept creating clear opportunities, but couldn’t find the back of the net. Neither Oyarzabal nor Becker were able to convert—missed chances that can be punishing against top teams. Nonetheless, Real Sociedad remained slightly superior, and while they couldn’t seal the win with a second goal, they never truly risked losing the lead.
This hard-fought victory pushes the txuri-urdin up in the table. The Reale Arena has been waiting for a night like this. We are Real.
Match details:
Real Sociedad: Remiro, Aramburu (Aritz, 60'), Zubeldia, Aguerd, Aihen (Javi López, 84'), Zubimendi, Sučić (Sergio Gómez, 60'), Brais Méndez, Take, Becker (Barrene, 60'), and Oyarzabal (captain) (Óskarsson, 60').
FC Barcelona: Iñaki Peña, Kounde, Cubarsí, Iñigo, Balde, De Jong (captain) (Dani Olmo, 46'), Casadó, Pedri (Pau Víctor, 91'), Fermín (Ansu Fati, 69'), Rapinha, and Lewandowski.
Goals: 1-0: Becker, 33'.
Referee: Cuadra Fernández. Booked Aramburu, Brais Méndez, and Zubeldia for Real Sociedad and Iñigo for FC Barcelona.
Attendance: 36,194 spectators.