Barcelona continued to end up with poor results at the Anoeta losing 1-0 against the Basque club in their latest La Liga clash. Xabi Prieto delivered a cross for 18-year-old Mikel Oyarzabal to nod in at the 5th minute.
Barcelona fielded a much-changed side with a view to the Champions League game against arch rivals Atletico which awaits them midweek. The much-changed side proved helpless in salvaging the game in spite of having dominated Real Sociedad for most of it.
Let’s have a look at some of the talking points.
1) The curse of the Anoeta continues
Barcelona have the worst possible record at the Anoeta having been now handed five losses in their six last visits to the stadium. Luis Enrique’s side have not won at the stadium for nine years and counting as their last win came in 2007.
This record against Real Sociedad has seemingly converted the Basque side into something like a bogey team for the Catalan side who are now fairly frustrated with their travels to this stadium.
One could argue that this was a Barcelona side that was much changed and without their top scorer Luis Suarez but what team with Messi and Neymar could be called ‘weak’?
Especially when your replacements in other positions are of the quality of Sergi Roberto, Arda Turan and Rafinha Alcantara, you are expected to at least salvage a point if not pick up all three against most sides.
To top it off this was a Real Sociedad team that was ravaged by injuries itself to key players. To put it in simple terms, this was the best chance that Barcelona would get to better their much-maligned record at the Anoeta for a long time to come.
Alas, Luis Enrique will need to wait another season before he can really do anything about it.
2) La Liga title race blown open
It wasn’t that long ago that Barcelona boasted a healthy lead in La Liga, the sort that many would call unassailable under the circumstances. However, after a run of a draw and two defeats, the lead since has almost evaporated.
Atletico now stand only three points behind Barcelona having dispatched Espanyol themselves on the night and Real Madrid, who looked long lost in the title race have fresh hope as their revitalised unit slashed the points difference to Barcelona to a meager four at the top of the table with their 4-0 trouncing of Eibar.
With only six games left, Barcelona are two small slips away from blowing their title chances. However, it seems rather unlikely that any of their remaining six fixtures could do much to reduce their spirits as Luis Enrique’s men at full strength are more than capable of dispatching the remaining sides.
However, if Barcelona were to slip up even once more, rest assured both Madrid sides would be more than happy to take the opportunity to pile the pressure on the Blaugrana.
3) Luis Suarez is crucial to Barcelona
Even as Luis Suarez took centre stage in midweek, ruining Atletico Madrid’s party almost single-handedly, it was evident how different Barcelona are as a team with the Uruguayan hitman leading the charge.
For most, it wasn’t much of a surprise that the Blaugrana stumbled a little without a player like Suarez even though the other two parts of the much feared ‘MSN’ started the game.
Barcelona had the best part of the possession on the night, almost 73 percent of it, but could make no legitimate use of it as they failed to score. This was a much-shuffled back line for Eusebio Sacristan’s men as Real Sociedad dealt with injuries and suspensions but that didn’t stop them from keeping a clean sheet.
Luis Suarez has an astonishing 26 goals and 12 assists this season for the Catalan side in 29 league appearances. The former Liverpool striker is a crucial cog in the Luis Enrique machine at Barcelona and it was ever so evident on the night.
4) Mikel Oyarzabal has a big future
You would never count out Real Sociedad to produce some absolutely fantastic players every now and then and it seems Mikel Oyarzabal is the next in a line of prodigious young talents to don the Real Sociedad jersey.
All of just 18, Oyarzabal led the line on the night like a man rather than a boy. In the absence of top scorer Imanol Agirretxe, Oyarzabal has announced himself on the big stage and the goal against Barcelona only cements his place in the team.
On the night, the young forward put in a shift his manager could be proud of as he ran his lungs out for the team. There were concerns for the Real Sociedad fans that the injury-ravaged side would finally give in and the nine-year-long run of results against the Catalan side would come to an end.
However, when Xabi Prieto’s cross was nodded home by Mikel Oyarzabal in the fifth minute the entire complexion of the game changed. It now remains to be seen as to what happens to the young forward once Imanol Agirretxe returns. Regardless of that, however, it seems likely that the Spanish striker has a big future ahead of him.
5) Luis Enrique has a big task ahead of him
A couple of defeats in the league could be compounded further if Atletico Madrid were to somehow snatch victory in the reverse leg of the UEFA Champions League tie against Barcelona in four days’ time.
Atletico have the vital away goal to their credit and are more than capable of keeping Barcelona quite especially since the game is at the dreaded Vicente Calderon. The momentum of their own results and that of their opponents may be a motivating factor for Diego Simeone’s men and a loss for Barcelona on the night will send concerns ringing.
Luis Enrique now has to beat Atletico Madrid and ensure that the downward blip doesn’t spiral into a full-fledged loss of form. After all, Barcelona only rested four key players to keep them fresh for the UEFA Champions League.
Regardless of the results on the night, Luis Enrique has his work cut out for him and will hope to set his team back on track having broken many records this season. It would be a shame if Barcelona crash out of the Champions League or lose the initiative in the La Liga race at this stage.
