What a madness!

What a night. Another unforgettable one. Real Sociedad overcame Barcelona in a thrilling encounter in which the txuri-urdin efficiency outweighed their opponents’ dominance of possession. A huge collective effort from a side that once again displayed grit and personality, earning the full applause of a crowd bursting with joy in a night to remember.

The game got off to an intense start, with a disallowed goal for Real Sociedad and a close-range strike from Pedri brilliantly saved by Remiro. Barça also had two goals ruled out, while a Guedes effort was comfortably held by Joan García during an opening period dominated by the visitors’ possession against a fearless and resilient Real side. But the txuri-urdin, showing determination and belief, broke through just after the half-hour mark, as Oyarzabal volleyed in a precise finish from Guedes’ cross. The visitors pressed hard in the closing moments of the first half, yet both the defence and Remiro held firm, allowing Real to take a deserved lead into the break.

Barcelona came out quickly after the break, with Dani Olmo striking the woodwork twice in clear scoring opportunities. The pressure intensified, and Real had to dig deep. Remiro produced a spectacular Arconada-style save to deny Lewandowski’s header, but moments later he could do nothing to stop Rashford from leveling the score. The visitors’ joy was short-lived, however, as in the very next Real Sociedad attack, Guedes turned in a cross from the left to send the crowd into ecstasy once again. What a match! Oyarzabal then came agonizingly close to a third with a header that went just wide, and Zubeldia, with the keeper beaten, saw a defender clear his effort off the line. Barcelona kept pressing in the final stages and hit the crossbar again, this time through a Koundé header. Real Sociedad were reduced to ten men after Soler received a red card following a VAR review, yet the txuri-urdin battled fiercely in stoppage time to secure three priceless points.

A victory in its purest form. Grit, character, and passion, like the legendary nights at Atotxa, like the finest evenings at Anoeta.

Match sheet:

Real Sociedad: Remiro, Aramburu (Ćaleta-Car, min.82), Zubeldia, Martín, Sergio Gómez (Aihen, min.68), Turrientes (Gorrotxa, min.58), Soler, Brais Méndez (Odriozola, min.58), Take (Barrene, min.68), Guedes and Oyarzabal (cap).

FC Barcelona: Joan García, Koundé (Roony, min.85), Cubarsí (Gerard Martín, min.85), Eric, Balde (Cancelo, min.63), De Jong (cap), Pedri, Olmo (Rashford, min.63), Fermín, Lamine Yamal and Ferrán (Lewandowsky, min.63).

Goals: 1-0: Oyarzabal, min.32. 1-1: Rashford, min.70. 2-1; Guedes, min.72.

Referee: Jesús Gil. Booked Turrientes, Aramburu and Zubeldia for Real Sociedad and Eric and Fermín for FC Barcelona. Sent off the home player Soler with a straight red card in the 88th minute.

Attendance: 36,346 spectators.