Barcelona took benefit of Actual Madrid’s hammering by the hands of Atletico Madrid as they moved prime of LaLiga, albeit with an unconvincing 2-1 win over Actual Sociedad.
The defending champions approached the sport on the Olympic Stadium realizing that they had the possibility to leapfrog their arch rivals after they have been crushed 5-2 by Atletico on Saturday.
Barca have been boosted by the return of Lamine Yamal to the squad after 4 video games out with a groin harm, however they stunningly fell behind within the thirty first minute when Alvaro Odriozola turned in from point-blank vary within the thirty first minute.
Nonetheless, Barca restored parity shortly earlier than half-time when Jules Kounde headed in Marcus Rashford’s nook, and it was Yamal who arrange what proved to be the Barcelona, his cross steered in off the submit by Robert Lewandowski simply shy of the hour mark to ship the Blaugrana to the summit.
Barcelona v Actual Sociedad
Sociedad began brightly and threatened within the ninth minute when Mikel Oyarzabal headed narrowly vast, earlier than their goalkeeper Alex Remiro was required to make a tremendous save on the different finish to disclaim Marcus Rashford.
Remiro then thwarted Roony Bardghji with a tremendous reflex save, and Barca have been then caught out when Ander Barrenetxea labored some house on the left and whipped the ball in for Odriozola to prod house.
Barca responded in typical trend, Pedri seeing an effort cleared off the road earlier than Remiro once more pissed off Bardghji with one other wonderful cease.
But Barca’s stress advised as Kounde levelled issues, rising excessive to energy house Rashford’s supply on the close to submit.
Yamal was introduced on for Bardghji within the 58th minute and wanted only one minute to make an affect, surging down the suitable and standing up a superbly weighted cross for Lewandowski to move in.
The superb Remiro repelled long-range efforts from Rashford and Dani Olmo to maintain Sociedad inside touching distance earlier than Yamal put the ball within the internet, just for his effort to be dominated out by the offside flag.
Sociedad weren’t completed as a menace in an entertaining contest, although, and Takefusa Kubo crashed a close-range effort in opposition to the crossbar, with Lewandowski then doing the identical on the different finish.
But the Pole nonetheless proved the Barcelona match winner, sending them right into a mouthwatering Champions League conflict with holders Paris Saint-Germain on a excessive.
