On January 19, in La Liga’s Round 20, Barcelona suffered a shocking 1-2 away defeat to Real Sociedad, ending their 9-game winning streak. Despite solid performance, luck was not on Barça’s side: three goals were disallowed, a penalty was canceled, and five shots hit the post, turning a potential big win into defeat.
In just the 9th minute, Fermin scored for Barcelona, but the goal was ruled invalid due to Olmo’s foul in the buildup. Goals by De Jong (22’) and Yamal (30’) were also ruled offside. In the 32nd minute, Real Sociedad’s Oyarzabal scored a stunning volley to take the lead. In stoppage time of the first half, Yamal’s penalty was canceled after a VAR review.
In the second half, Barça kept hitting the post: Olmo twice, Lewandowski once, and a corner in stoppage time struck the post for the fifth time, prompting Sociedad goalkeeper Remiro to kiss the post in gratitude. Barça briefly equalized at 72’ via Rashford, assisted by Yamal, but Sociedad immediately responded a minute later.
Ultimately, Barcelona fell 1-2 in a “system game,” ending their 9-game streak. With Real Madrid winning this round, the gap is now just 1 point, reigniting the La Liga title race.
