In a commanding display, Barcelona swept past Real Sociedad with a 4-0 victory, reclaiming the top spot in Spain’s La Liga on Sunday. Goals came courtesy of Gerard Martín, Marc Casadó, Ronald Araujo, and Robert Lewandowski, putting Barcelona a point clear of Atletico Madrid, who holds second place.
The Barcelona camp was optimistic but cautious about their lead. Coach Hansi Flick remarked, “The season is long, and fortunes can change rapidly. Our aim is to remain relentless and capture every title possible.” Strong performances have positioned Barcelona three points ahead of third-placed Real Madrid, who suffered a defeat to Real Betis, while Atletico overcame Athletic Bilbao with a narrow 1-0 win at home.
Reflecting on their performance, Araujo expressed, “Our match was fantastic. Regaining the lead is crucial, and the team really came together.” A decisive moment unfolded in the 17th minute when Real Sociedad’s Aritz Elustondo was shown a red card for halting Dani Olmo’s breakaway, leaving Sociedad one player short.
“The dismissal definitely shifted the balance, but we pushed them into that position. Their squad is strong, but today’s win was well-earned,” shared Flick. This triumph marks Barcelona’s sixth consecutive victory, contrasting with Real Sociedad’s challenging spell, losing two out of their last three and remaining in ninth place.
Sociedad’s coach, Imanol Alguacil, conceded, “The red card was clear-cut, and with it, the dynamic changed drastically. Competing against Barcelona is challenging enough with eleven players.”
As Barcelona prepares to face Benfica in the Champions League, Flick opted to rest several key players in anticipation of their upcoming clash. Despite the managerial shuffling, the team’s focus remains sharp. “Returning to the top of La Liga is satisfying, but our sights are now set on our next challenge against Benfica,” clarified Flick.
At Montjuic stadium, Barcelona quickly took control, with Martín opening the scoring in the 25th minute, followed by Casadó just four minutes later. Araujo increased their lead in the 56th, with Lewandowski cementing the victory four minutes on. Lewandowski’s impressive tally now stands at 34 goals for the season, surpassing his previous record with the Catalan club.
Sociedad, similarly engaged in the Copa del Rey semifinals alongside Barcelona, Madrid, and Atletico, struggled to make any significant impact, failing to record a single attempt on goal against Barcelona’s overwhelming 33 efforts. The match also saw Sociedad’s defender, Hamari Traoré, return to play after a lengthy hiatus due to knee surgery.
Elsewhere, in an encounter between teams from the Madrid area, Diego García’s late stoppage-time goal secured a 1-0 victory for 16th-placed Leganes over 14th-placed Getafe.
In other matches, Valencia missed an opportunity to escape the relegation zone, settling for a 3-3 draw with Osasuna, courtesy of Umar Sadiq’s creative 87th-minute goal. Struggling Osasuna has now gone five games in all competitions without a win.
Additionally, a match between Mallorca and Leganes concluded in a 1-1 draw, with Mallorca standing in eighth place.
