FC Barcelona 2-1 Real Sociedad: Lamine, comeback and LaLiga leaders!

FC Barcelona is the new leader of LaLiga EA Sports 2025/26. On Sunday, in the return of the Barça team to Montjuïc, Hansi Flick's team came from behind to defeat Real Sociedad (2-1) with goals from Jules Koundé and Robert Lewandowski.

The 'culés' were clearly superior during the 90 minutes, but the saves of Álex Remiro (8) prevented a difference in the result according to what was seen on the field. In the end, with some drama and multiple chances in both areas, Barça managed to secure their sixth victory of the season in LaLiga.

For J7 of La Liga, Flick opted for new faces in attack, with Roony Bardghji as winger on the right and Dro Fernández as attacking midfielder. The youth player made his debut as a starter at 17 years old, very active in the edge of the area to try to associate with the Swede and Marcus Rashford. 

The Barça dominance was clear in the first 45 minutes, with 87% ball possession and 9 shots (3 on goal). However, Remiro's saves and an isolated goal from Álvaro Odriozola decreed the tie at halftime. In the second half, Lewandowski imposed the 'culé' hierarchy to decree a new victory that puts the Catalans as leaders.

Real Sociedad struck first in Montjuïc; Koundé equalized before halftime

The locals only took a handful of minutes to arrive with danger to the rival area. Rashford had the first clear chance in the 10th minute, finishing off a great pass from Frenkie de Jong after a corner from Roony from the right. Remiro denied his first goal in La Liga to the '14' with a purely reflex slap, sending the ball back to the corner.

Real Sociedad tried to do damage with long balls, looking for Gonçalo Guedes and Mikel Oyarzabal. Ronald Araujo tested Remiro's reflexes again with a mid-range shot in the 22nd minute, but it was the 'donostiarras' who were in charge of opening the scoring.

In the 30th minute, Guedes caught the Barça defense asleep with a filtered pass for Barrenetxea. The Basque won the back of Jules Koundé and shot a low cross that Odriozola changed for a goal entering free on the opposite side. The VAR validated the positions of the 'txuri urdines' players and, in half an hour, Barça began losing for the second time this season.

Jules Koundé celebrating his goal against Real Sociedad

Flick's team, however, continued attacking and, in the 43rd minute, finally reached a well-deserved draw. Rashford executed an impeccable corner from the left and Koundé anticipated the rival central defenders, blasting Remiro with a powerful header.

The '1' of Real Sociedad already had, by then, three incredible saves, one of them to Koundé himself. The rebound fell to Pedri, but he finished straight into Zubeldía's head in a bizarre action. Only fortune had prevented the Barça goal and, at halftime, Dani Olmo entered for the debutant Dro Fernández.

Immediate effect: Lamine Yamal broke the tie with a magical assist

Lamine Yamal and Robert Lewandowski celebrate Barça's second goal

Along with the entry of Olmo, Lamine Yamal ignited the stands of Montjuïc starting his warm-up. The '10' offered his 2025 Kopa Trophy, the second consecutive, to the Barça fans in the preview of the match and his expected return, after the injury in the pubis, was completed in the 57th minute in place of Roony.

As soon as he entered, in the first ball he touched, the player from Mataró overflowed on the right, surpassing Sergi Gómez in speed to pinch a cross with the right directly to the head of Robert Lewandowski. The Pole finished with power, straight to the post, but the rebound took the direction of the goal to seal the 2-1 in 59 minutes.

For Lamine, it was his third assist of the season, while 'Lewy' celebrated his fourth goal, equaling the line of Ferran Torres. After the 2-1, 'Lewy' touched the double with a high shot in the 60th minute and another shot saved on the line by Caleta-Car in the 68th minute, after a good filtered pass from Dani Olmo.

In the final stretch, Flick put Eric García and Ferran Torres for Gerard Martín and Rashford. The match broke in the last minutes, with shots to the post by Take Kubo and Lewandowski himself (assisted by Ferran) that raised the tension to the maximum in Montjuïc.

However, beyond another free kick from Olmo deflected to the corner, there were no more scares in the areas and Barcelona consummated a new comeback to regain the lead in LaLiga. Next matchday, the Barça team visits Sevilla (Sunday 5) and Real Sociedad, who continues flirting with relegation, receives Rayo the same Sunday, prior to the second break of the season.

Match sheet: FC Barcelona 2-1 Real Sociedad

• FC Barcelona, 2: Szczesny; Koundé, Araujo, Christensen, Gerard Martín (Eric García, min. 78); De Jong, Pedri (Casadó, min. 90+5); Roony (Lamine, min. 57), Dro (Olmo, min. 46), Rashford (Ferran, min. 78); Lewandowski
• Real Sociedad, 1: Remiro; Odriozola (Sergi Gómez, min. 57), Zubeldia, Caleta-Car, Aihen; Turrientes (Soler, min. 67), Gorrotxategui, Marín (Brais Méndez (min. 67); Barrenetxea (Sadiq, min. 81), Guedes (Kubo, min. 57) and Oyarzabal
• Goals: 0-1, Álvaro Odriozola (min. 31); Jules Koundé (min. 43); 2-1, Robert Lewandowski (min. 59).
• Referee: Alejandro Hernández Hernández. He cautioned Igor Zubeldia and Duje Caleta-Car for Real Sociedad. For Barça, he warned Jules Koundé. In the second half, he spared Zubeldia a second yellow card for a hard tackle on Lewandowski.
• Stadium: Olímpico Lluís Companys de Montjuïc.
• Incidents: match corresponding to matchday 7 of LaLiga EA Sports 2025/26.