After seven straight wins, Barcelona fell to a 1-0 defeat against Real Sociedad.

La Real studied the offside trap of Hansi Flick’s team and took full advantage on a day when Barcelona was inaccurate in defense and attack. They were poor at passing out from the back, lacked fluidity and were off balance in the final third.

But the match at the Reale Arena also saw a controversial offside against Robert Lewandowski, whose effort was disallowed in the 13th minute after some footage showed La Liga’s semi-automatic system taking defender Nayef Aguerd’s foot in front of his regarded.

Without Lamine Yamal (concussion) and Dani Olmo (stomach problems, although he came on at half-time) in the starting line-up, Barca seemed to lack fresh ideas. A Sheraldo Becker goal in the 33rd minute was enough to end Flick’s paradise and hand his team only their third defeat of the season in all competitions.

Is Barcelona too dependent on Yamal?

When the cameras showed Yamal in the stands in the first few minutes, the Barcelona fans who had traveled to San Sebastian began to applaud and sing. But this was an unusual situation for their 17-year-old star player, who wasn’t even on the bench.

That followed a pre-match statement in which the club announced that Yamal was on medical leave due to discomfort after suffering a “severe concussion” during Barca’s 5-2 Champions League win against Red Star Belgrade in midweek.

The winger traveled with the rest of the team but did not recover in time for the match – and his absence was felt.

Yamal traveled with the team, but did not play (Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

The two games he has not played this season (against Osasuna and Real Sociedad) were the only two defeats Barcelona have suffered in La Liga and their worst two performances this season. Chance? Probably not.

Yamal is a fundamental player in this side. Without him, Flick’s team lacked depth, something right back Jules Kounde had to provide in Yamal’s absence.

Barca finished the match without shots on target for the first time since 2014. Raphinha and Lewandowski were not at their best, with the questionable offside against the Pole summarizing a miserable evening for the Catalans.

0- Barcelona failed to get a shot on target in one @LaLigaEN match for the second time since at least the 2003/04 season, following a September 2014 match against Málaga at La Rosaleda under Luis Enrique.

Blocked. pic.twitter.com/jUpxM3zKYX

— OptaJose (@OptaJose) November 10, 2024

“It was a goal, it was a wrong decision,” Flick said at his post-match press conference. “That wasn’t offside, but it wasn’t his fault. We must accept it. It wasn’t our day.”

Lewandowksi’s offside (both images from Movistar Plus)

Was De Jong’s substitution due to an injury or a tactical change?

De Jong suffered a blow in the 25th minute and the Dutchman did not look the same afterwards. He was replaced by Olmo at half-time – although it was unclear whether this was due to physical problems or tactics.

De Jong has only just returned from a long-term injury and at half-time he could be seen limping slightly from the dressing room. But Olmo also showed again why Barcelona spent €60 million on his contract this summer.

The Euro 2024-winning attacking midfielder suffered from stomach problems, which is why he did not start. But when he came on, he proved vital between the lines. This also allowed Pedri to play further back, where he is most useful to the team in generating attacks.

GO DEEPER

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But the Olmo effect soon disappeared and he was unable to add to his five goals in all competitions. Real Sociedad’s fervent defense made Barcelona look uncomfortable, with several home side players showing up whenever a Barça player got the ball.

De Jong watched all this from the couch with a serious expression. The 27-year-old midfielder continues to look cautious, protecting his ankle in some one-on-one situations and not playing to his full potential. That raises the question of whether he is ready to be a starter in a team where, apart from this match, the rest of the midfield is in top form.

Warrior Cubarsi plays with a swollen face and 10 stitches

Cubarsi was one of Barcelona’s better players, but it was far from guaranteed that he would play. The 17-year-old central defender was left with a bloodied face and ten stitches after an accidental boot from Red Star player Uros Spajic in Wednesday evening’s match.

It seemed clear that Cubarsi would get some rest here, especially after Spanish coach Luis de la Fuente did not call him up for the national team for that reason. But he felt good in training and insisted he wanted to play, so Flick started him.

Cubarsi’s mask (Ricardo Larreina/Europa Press via Getty Images)

Cubarsi wore a longer-than-normal mask to reach the wounds on his jaw and played without fear. He fought every ball and because of the shape of the mask he had no vision problems.

He may have been caught in the build-up to Becker’s goal, but in the closing stages he moved forward to try and score a header.

Some Barcelona fans had already compared him to club icon Carles Puyol, and the parallels seemed even more accurate after seeing him play like that in the rain. He and Inigo Martinez were not unbeatable as in previous matches, but he was one of the few who emerged this evening with some honor to quickly forget.

What’s next for Barcelona?

Celta Vigo (away), Saturday November 23 at 9pm CET (8pm BST, 3pm ET)

(Top image: Jose Breton/Pics Action/NurPhoto via Getty Images)