Where did it all go wrong for Barcelona against Real Sociedad?

Sunday night’s match at the Reale Arena was tough to watch for Barcelona fans. The team’s performance, or lack thereof, brought back memories of previous seasons when Barcelona often delivered their worst display of the year during visits to San Sebastián. While they had recently managed to break that curse, Sunday’s game was an absolute disaster. The visitors were also affected by a particularly poor VAR decision. Even after reviewing the footage, it’s hard to say with certainty that the offside “toe” belonged to Robert Lewandowski rather than Nayef Aguerd.

Up until that point, Barcelona had been fairly unremarkable, though taking the lead might have allowed them to play their usual efficient counter-attacking game, as they’ve done often this season. However, the poor VAR decision and subsequent unfavorable calls took the wind out of Hansi Flick’s team, and they were clearly second-best throughout the match.

Jules Koundé certainly missed the presence of Lamine Yamal ahead of him, but the French defender had a dreadful performance across the 90 minutes. He was easily pushed off the ball for the goal, his passing was off-target, and his runs appeared labored. He wasn’t alone in struggling to deliver accurate crosses, as most of his teammates were guilty of aimlessly sending balls into the box, which rarely found their intended target.

It felt like watching Xavi-ball once again, and for once, Hansi Flick was powerless to change things. Dani Olmo’s arrival offered a brief moment of optimism, but after recovering from a midweek illness, the Spaniard just didn’t seem to be at his best.