3rd December 2022, Estadi Johan Cruyff, Barcelona.
With 4,559 spectators, Barcelona was ready to take on Natalia Arroyo’s Real Sociedad on Matchday 11. One of the only teams yet to drop points in the league, Barcelona faced a challenge given the upcoming UWCL matches. And perhaps one could see the effects of the grueling schedule in the starting XI. With an upcoming Champions League fixture midweek against Bayern Munich at the Allianz Arena, coach Jonatan Giraldez preferred resting several players and went ahead with a different approach. Before the start of the game, players Aitana Bonmati and Mapi Leon were commemorated for completing 200 appearances with the Catalan club.
The match started in typical Barca fashion as the Catalan team dominated possession against Real Sociedad. However, the dominance in possession didn’t lead to conversions in goals. Defensively, Real Sociedad was rock solid on the back and asked questions about Barcelona’s attack that was failing to prove themselves as they missed multiple chances in the first half. Deservedly, just before the end of the first half, Real Sociedad leads with Le Guilly’s goal.
The second half started no differently, with Real Sociedad pushing with great intensity and attacking, trying to create chances. In the meantime, Barcelona immediately made four substitutions in the second half with Ana Maria Crnogorcevic, Mariona Caldentey, Geyse, and Fridolina Rolfo. In a rather unfortunate way for La Real, Marta Torrejon scored a header for Barcelona to equalize. However, the goal did look offside. Mapi Leon clears the ball off the goal line in the 80th minute as Sandra Panos misses and moves further out of the goal amid Real Sociedad’s unrelenting attempts at scoring. When the game looked out of Barcelona’s hands, in a set piece opportunity, substitute Lucy Bronze heads a corner taken by Mapi Leon into the goal, giving the Catalan club the lead in the 89th minute.
While Barcelona may have won, Real Sociedad and Natalia Arroyo have certainly asked questions of Barcelona in this game and exposed the defending champions’ weakness. Arroyo, considered one of the best coaches, has turned around Real Sociedad and has prepared the team in the best possible way. Real Sociedad has been turned around by Arroyo, who is regarded as one of the top coaches. Tactically, Arroyo and the team forced Jonatan Giraldez to substitute his best players in order to win the match.
Full Time at Estadi Johan Cruyff
Real Sociedad 1-2 FC Barcelona
44′ Jade Le Guilly
62′ Marta Torrejon
89′ Lucy Bronze
Post Match Comments:
“We missed very little. To put in a few more than we had, which we had clear. We had 0 to 2 and that might have led to agony for Barça. Barça must learn to live with this situation and today we managed to make them uncomfortable.” – Natalia Arroyo. Headcoach, Real Sociedad
“We didn’t play well. We expected something different from last year, with very wide results. In the first half, we gave Real energy. In the second half, we were disorganized, we won some duel, but Real must be congratulated for the match they played”. – Jonatan Giraldez. Headcoach, FC Barcelona
“The evolution is to try that a match against such an opponent forces you to be correct in the actions 1 against 1. And when you succeed, prolong it, do it the whole match. The growth is to be physically prepared and the match has allowed us to go with everything”. – Natalia Arroyo. Headcoach, Real Sociedad.
Written by Unnati Naidu.
Photos from the fixture by Lina A.
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