Barcelona have no time to dwell on a frustrating night against Real Sociedad

Football can be unjust, we all know this.

Barcelona may not have played their best game on Sunday night, but the scoreline doesn’t tell the story.

I’m going to believe my lying eyes on this one, that goal was not offside. You could look at every camera angle in live time, and it’s not even close. Only with the semi-automated technology, and whatever that graphic is that you see on tv, do you see a toenail poking out.

Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images

From there, the dynamic of the game changes. Give credit to Real Sociedad, they brought the intensity, and so did the fans at la Cerámica. This is one of the toughest venues to get a win at when you’re on the road.

But Barcelona kept up the fight as well. And that’s why culers and pundits shouldn’t overreact.

Not having Lamine Yamal available makes such a big difference tactically. The kid is irreplaceable based on his talent alone. But we are also seeing how important he is to balance out the front three alongside Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha.

Photo by Felipe Mondino/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Barcelona has been great, because of their ability to press forward, and get balls in behind. Lamine has been the man playing the lion’s share of those line-breaking passes, while also possessing the ability to take defenders on with the ball at his feet.

The better call in hindsight was probably to start Dani Olmo on the wing. Frenkie de Jong had a solid game, but I would have dropped him, using Pedri in the double pivot instead, with Fermin Lopez behind the striker.

These are things we can all debate. But ultimately, luck wasn’t on Barca’s side, and Real Sociedad played a strong game.

Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/Getty Images

In moments like these, you applaud your opponent, and move on.

Barcelona is still the best team in Spain, and it’s their job to come out of the international break focused and ready to prove it.

The upcoming games are not the most difficult on paper, which is why Hansi Flick and his men can’t take them for granted. This is the time to get all three points every time before the turn of the new year.

As for me, I’m feeling calm. Disappointed to not see a better show from a team that has been electrifying this season, but confident that they will get right back on track, because they have been building the right habits.

Photo by Cesar Ortiz/Soccrates/Getty Images

The biggest concern today isn’t the result, but the fitness of Lamine Yamal.

Hopefully he can take some time off, get better quickly, and return to help this team on their quest for titles.

If he needs time away, then Flick will need to find a tweak to his formula. Hopefully he was able to learn something from this frustrating defeat in the Basque country. This Barcelona team, at the moment, has plenty of options he can turn to.