Foot & Soccer Soccer Match Reports, Football News
After having began the season with a show of immense attacking potential, Barcelona confronted a significant setback towards Actual Sociedad.
The crew, which had beforehand been celebrated for his or her skill to attain towards any opposition, stumbled in a efficiency that left everybody puzzled.
Lacking the younger expertise Lamine Yamal, who had been dominated out attributable to discomfort in his proper ankle, Barça appeared hesitant and ineffective of their offensive play.
Apparently, Yamal wasn’t a part of the lineup of their solely different La Liga defeat towards Osasuna, a match that resulted in a 2-4 loss.
A dreadful stat
In the meantime, a startling statistic got here to foray which highlights the disarray inside Hansi Flick’s squad in the course of the match: not a single shot heading in the right direction.
The Actual Sociedad keeper had one of many best video games he’s doubtless had all season, with no real saves required all through the match.
Barcelona did not get a shot heading in the right direction towards Actual Sociedad. (Photograph by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Pictures)
There was just one shut name—he needed to react to a rebound—however past that, the Barcelona assault posed little menace.
Apparently, it has been over a decade since such an prevalence final occurred to Barça. Not since a 2014 match beneath coach Luis Enrique towards Malaga had Barcelona did not register a shot heading in the right direction.
For a crew that prides itself on offensive firepower, the shortage of pictures was an uncommon and worrying improvement.
This lacklustre efficiency stood in stark distinction to Barcelona’s earlier shows this season. Flick’s facet had gone on a powerful run of seven video games the place they scored three or extra objectives, defeating groups Bayern Munich and Actual Madrid.
Nevertheless, regardless of 11 makes an attempt on objective on this match, none significantly troubled the Actual Sociedad keeper, and even a strike from Robert Lewandowski that hit the again of the web was dominated out by VAR for offside.
Moreover, for the primary time this season, Barcelona ended a match with out scoring. Of their earlier 16 aggressive matches, they’d managed to search out the web in each, even in defeats.
