Barcelona secured a vital 2-1 comeback victory over Real Sociedad on Sunday at home, to climb above arch-rivals Real Madrid and claim the top spot in La Liga.
Hansi Flick’s side controlled the match from the outset, dominating the opening half-hour with over 85 percent possession and registering multiple shots on target. However, against the run of play, the hosts were stunned in the 31st minute when Álvaro Odriozola finished a pass from Ander Barrenetxea, giving the visitors a shock 1-0 lead.
The defending champions’ immediate pressure was immense. After goalkeeper Álex Remiro brilliantly intervened to prevent an Igor Zubeldia own goal, Barcelona finally found their equalizer in the 43rd minute. French defender Jules Kounde rose to head home a corner delivered by Marcus Rashford, sending the teams into the break tied at 1-1.
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The decisive moment came early in the second half, driven by a strategic substitution. Coach Flick introduced 18-year-old forward Lamine Yamal for fellow teenager Roony Bardghji in the 58th minute, and Yamal immediately impacted the game. He burst into the box, shrugged off a challenge, and delivered a superb cross, which veteran striker Robert Lewandowski routinely headed home.
Although that appeared to be the winning goal later, the battle continued until the final whistle. Barcelona had another goal from Lamine Yamal ruled out for a marginal offside, and in the 84th minute, both sides spurned golden chances within seconds. Takefusa Kubo rattled the crossbar for Sociedad before Lewandowski immediately hit the bar at the other end on a counter-attack.
With this hard-fought victory, Barcelona extends their unbeaten start to the season. They now lead the league standings with 19 points from six wins and one draw in seven matches, moving one point ahead of Real Madrid, who drop to second after a shocking 5-2 derby defeat at Metropolitano a night earlier.
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Next up, Barcelona will host Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Wednesday. Real Madrid will visit Kazakhstan to face Kairat Almaty on Tuesday. Real Sociedad, not in European competition this season, will host Rayo Vallecano on October 5 in their next league match.