It's a sad game for Barcelona this Sunday after a 1 - 1 draw against Real Sociedad, which means the team is now trailing behind Real Madrid by six points in La Liga.
Luis Enrique repeated the starting XI that got a 2 - 0 win against the Celtics last Wednesday. However, Real Sociedad played at top form against Barca and dominated from the beginning. The Basques pressed their home advantage during the first half, although they weren't able to get a goal thanks to Marc André ter Stegen's attentiveness. But Willan Jose gave La Real the lead during the second half, which was cancelled out by Lionel Messi. The result was a 1 - 1 draw for Barca, which could have been worse if not for Juanmi's goal wrongly ruled offside. Otherwise, La Real would have won.
While having a draw is a better result on paper, it was a disappointing game for Barcelona overall. Both Enrique and Gerard Pique were critical on Barca's performance after the match. Pique concedes that Real Sociedad were superior to them in the quality of their play and their attitude and expresses his concern for Barca saying "In the first half we weren't there. In the second half we improved but playing like that it'll be difficult to win La Liga."
Meanwhile, Enrique acknowledges that it was the worst display for the team since he took charge in 2014 but remains determined on their chances in La Liga. He goes on to say that "This is the first time I've seen a team walk all over us since I became coach but it's excessive to say the league is lost after week 13." He does admit that Barcelona needs to get in order for next week's clásico, which is a crucial match for Barca. If they lose, it will be an end to any hopes of winning the title.
