Real Sociedad Stun Barcelona In Dramatic La Liga Clash

It was a night of drama, tension, and no shortage of talking points at the Anoeta Stadium in San Sebastián as Real Sociedad handed Barcelona a rare and stinging 2-1 defeat in La Liga on January 18, 2026. The Basque side, revitalized under new manager Pellegrino Matarazzo, not only dented the Catalans’ title ambitions but also reminded everyone why Anoeta remains one of the trickiest away grounds in Spanish football.

Barcelona arrived in the Basque Country with momentum firmly on their side. Hansi Flick’s squad had rattled off 11 consecutive victories in all competitions, looking to extend their league winning streak to 10 and keep a healthy cushion atop the table. Their defense, anchored by the resurgent Joan Garcia, had been nearly impenetrable—just two goals conceded in the previous five outings, with four clean sheets to their name. The return of Joao Cancelo, newly registered for La Liga after his loan from Al-Hilal, promised even more solidity at the back.

Yet, history was not on Barcelona’s side. Anoeta has often been a graveyard for their hopes, with seven defeats there since the turn of the century and a notorious seven-game winless streak about a decade ago. Flick himself acknowledged the challenge in his pre-match conference, stating, "If we want to win the league, we have to beat Real Sociedad. It will be a tough match because Real Sociedad have some fantastic players. And they’re in good form after their recent results. They’ve grown in confidence since Matarazzo arrived.”

Both teams had reasons to be confident. Sociedad, under Matarazzo’s fresh leadership, had not tasted defeat, drawing twice and winning away to Getafe. They’d also advanced to the Copa del Rey quarterfinals by beating Osasuna on penalties, while Barcelona had edged past Racing Santander to book their own place in the last eight. The stage was set for a classic La Liga encounter.

The lineups reflected both teams’ ambitions. Barcelona started with Joan Garcia in goal; a backline of Kounde, Cubarsí, Eric, and Balde; De Jong and Pedri anchoring midfield; and an attacking quartet of Yamal, Olmo, Fermin, and Ferran in a 4-2-3-1. Raphinha, their in-form Brazilian winger, was ruled out due to a right leg injury, so Marcus Rashford—on loan from Manchester United—was expected to play a key role off the bench. Real Sociedad countered with Remiro in goal; Aramburu, Martín, Zubeldia, and Gómez in defense; a midfield of Kubo, Turrientes, Soler, and Guedes; and the dangerous duo of Méndez and Oyarzabal up front in a 4-4-2 formation.

The match began at a frenetic pace, with both sides probing for weaknesses. Barcelona, true to Flick’s philosophy, pressed high and created early chances. Incredibly, they had the ball in the net three times in the opening half hour—through Fermin Lopez, Frenkie de Jong, and Lamine Yamal—only for each effort to be chalked off for offside. The visitors’ frustration grew, especially as Dani Olmo twice rattled the post in the 47th and 49th minutes, and Robert Lewandowski saw his header brilliantly tipped onto the bar by Sociedad keeper Alex Remiro.

Sociedad, meanwhile, were clinical. In the 32nd minute, captain Mikel Oyarzabal broke the deadlock with a sumptuous side-foot volley, capitalizing on a rare lapse in the Barcelona defense. The home crowd erupted, sensing a famous victory could be on the cards. Barcelona’s response was swift and relentless, but luck seemed to desert them. Deep in first-half stoppage time, 18-year-old Lamine Yamal went down under a challenge from Igor Zubeldia and the referee pointed to the spot—only for VAR, manned by Carlos Del Cerro Grande, to intervene and overturn the penalty due to an earlier offside.

The second half was no less dramatic. Barcelona continued to dominate possession and territory, but Sociedad’s defense held firm. The breakthrough for the visitors finally came in the 70th minute, when Marcus Rashford—just seven minutes after coming off the bench—rose highest to head home his first La Liga goal since November 2, 2025. It was his eighth goal in all competitions since joining Barcelona on loan, and for a fleeting moment, it appeared the league leaders might escape with at least a point.

But football can be cruel. Less than a minute after Rashford’s equalizer, Sociedad struck back. Goncalo Guedes pounced on a loose ball in the box and fired past Garcia, restoring the hosts’ advantage and sending Anoeta into a frenzy. Barcelona, stunned, pushed forward desperately, but the woodwork would deny them again—this time Jules Kounde’s header in the 85th minute crashed against the bar.

The closing stages were not without controversy. In the 88th minute, Sociedad’s Carlos Soler was shown a straight red card for a rash challenge on Pedri, leaving the home side to navigate nine nerve-wracking minutes with ten men. But the Basques held firm, surviving a late Barcelona onslaught to claim all three points and beat Barcelona at home for the second consecutive season.

The defeat was a bitter pill for Barcelona, marking their third league loss of the campaign. They remain top of La Liga with 49 points from 20 games, but their lead over archrivals Real Madrid has been trimmed to a single point. Real Sociedad, meanwhile, climb to eighth in the standings, their revival under Matarazzo gathering real momentum.

For Barcelona, the focus now shifts to their Champions League ambitions and an upcoming European fixture against Slavia Prague. Flick’s men will need to regroup quickly, drawing on the defensive improvements and attacking verve that have defined their season so far. Yet, as Anoeta proved once again, no fixture in La Liga can be taken for granted—especially when the stakes are this high.