Signing off
Barcelona is one step closer to the title after their seventh straight clean sheet and one brilliant goal of the year candidate by Pedro. David Moyes’ well drilled and disciplined Real Sociedad side were game, but ultimately no match for hosts’ class. Now Real Madrid will try to keep pace against Valencia: be sure to follow Alan Smith’s minute-by-minute commentary of the proceedings. Until next time.
Full-time: Barcelona 2-0 Real Sociedad
And there’s the full-time whistle as the hosts extend their lead atop the La Liga table to five points with Real Madrid minutes away from kickoff at the Bernabéu. Incredibly, Barcelona have now gone seven straight games without conceding a goal.
90 min+3: A late sub for Sociedad: Elustondo on for Granero.
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90 min+2: Finnbogason finds himself alone in front of net thanks to a gorgeous pass from Castro, but his attempt is struck directly at Bravo.
90 min: The fourth official signals for three minutes of added time.
89 min: Another near miss for Messi, whose attempt on goal is just wide.
GOAL! Barcelona 2-0 Real Sociedad (Pedro, 85 min)
Pedro had only been on the field for five minutes but ... wow. Suarez with a long through ball into the box for Messi, whose quick entry is deflected high upward toward the center of the area, where Pedro attempts an audacious overhead kick that lands in the back of the net. A true highlight-reel goal that surely will lock down the three points for Barca.
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83 min: Neymar has Suarez on the back post, but the ball is deflected toward the center of the box to Messi, whose low shot is saved by Rulli.
82 min: Pedro in for Rafinha, Enrique’s final substitution.
79 min: Seems like Barcelona have eased off the pedal here in the second half, but Sociedad’s excellent deployment of the offside trap have frustrated the hosts in the final third.
76 min: Moyes makes his second substitution as Icelandic international Alfreð Finnbogason enters for Carlos Vela, the Mexican striker who was conspicuously quiet all day.
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75 min: A sloppy challenge by Ruben Pardo on Neymar leads to a yellow card. It’s the midfielders fifth of the years, which will mean an automatic one-match suspension.
72 min: Xavi spots Suarez who tries to nod it into the past of Messi, but Suarez – not having one of his best games – is flagged for offsides. Two substitutions now: for Barcelona, Iniesta on for Xavi, while for Sociedad, Chory Castro enters for Canales.
68 min: Suarez played into the area by Messi but can’t finish.
67 min: Barcelona still probing in the middle third, looking for an opening to double up the score. Sociedad are game, still chasing, not giving up.
63 min: Two more yellows to account for here. Rulli picked up a yellow in the 61st for delaying play, while Mascherano just now sees yellow for tripping Pardo. That gives Sociedad a nice free-kick opportunity, but it’s easily corralled by Bravo.
60 min: First substitution of the match for either side has Enrique inserting Busquets in for Bartra. Busquets will offer an extra creative edge in the midfield with Mascherano moving back into a more purely defensive role.
58 min: Breathtaking run by Xavi just there: nutmegs one player and muscles past two others. Someone GIF that.
57 min: Sociedad with their longest sustained attack in Barcelona’s back third here, but nothing much to show for it.
53 min: Unsurprisingly, the goal has opened up the play, which puts Sociedad in danger of getting doubled up. Barcelona looking inspired here. Another chance just now for Neymar, who I’m told has now scored in his last six games in all competitions.
Neymar has now scored 50 goals in 87 games in all competitions for Barcelona. Not bad, not bad at all. pic.twitter.com/qM8AqpT0fT
— Squawka Football (@Squawka) May 9, 2015
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GOAL! Barcelona 1-0 Real Sociedad (Neymar, 50 min)
Barca finally break through! It starts with a nice cross from Messi that’s nearly intercepted by a leaping Mikel. Yet the defender’s attempt at a header barely alters the ball’s trajectory as it finds Neymar at the back post, who easily heads it home. It was only a matter of time. With that goal, the holy trinity of Messi, Suarez and Neymar have now combined for 78 goals this year.
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48 min: A pass over the top to Suarez but he’s gang-tackled from behind. No whistle, but it’s out for another Barcelona corner. And now another observation on Sociedad’s Moyes from Charles Antaki, via email:
Moyes is settling nicely into the Spanish managerial style, but he doesn’t quite seem to have mastered the art of mumbling behind a hand held to his face. Possibly his Spanish isn’t up to it yet anyway, so maybe he should just shout stuff in English, in the approved Brit-abroad manner.
47 min: Barcelona turning the screws now. They’ve won three corners so far this half. The third lands at the foot of Neymar just outside the area, but his thudding right-footed shot skids just wide of goal.
46 min: We’re underway in the second half and within second Barcelona has moved into the final third, picking up right where they left off in the first half.
One for the highlight reel
Ashley from Seattle with a question via email: “What happened to the linesman at the end of the half? Looked like he was trying to trap the ball and wound up flat on his ass.”
Fortunately there are cameras everywhere.
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David Moyes
Mark Turner with a note on the Real Sociedad manager via email:
Let’s be honest, he was always better at defences than attacks.
Half-time: Barcelona 0-0 Real Sociedad
No doubt Barcelona must be frustrated for failing to open their ledger after such a positive first half, but a well organised Real Sociedad side – bolstered by the standout play of 22-year-old goal-keeper Gerónimo Rulli – have thus far kept it 0-0. Still, it’s hard to imagine Barca’s attack will be bottled up much longer based on how they’ve looked so far.
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41 min: How many times can Barca knock the door with no answer? They’ve had chance after chance this first half but have yet to convert. Still, it bodes well. Just now four Sociedad defenders chase Messi down toward the goal line, but his cross is intercepted by Mikel.
38 min: A set piece for Barcelona and Xavi’s right-footed service is well placed but well defended, blocked by Mikel and cleared from danger.
34 min: A corner for Sociedad is easily cleared. Suarez now cut down from behind by De la Bella, who is already on a yellow. A bit reckless but the referee lets it slide. Sociedad’s iffy discipline here is a testament to the swiftness and skill of Barcelona’s attack.
32 min: Barcelona playing beautifully here, only the brilliant play of Sociedad’s young goal-keeper have kept these teams on level terms. Now it’s Messi on the edge of the area taking three defenders on by himself before uncoiling a gorgeously struck pass that curls across the box to Suarez. The Uruguayan meets it but the low header bounces wide of the goal.
29 min: And now a third yellow for Sociedad in the past four minutes. Markel Bergara in the book for a foul on Rafinha, showing why he was the most fouled player in La Liga last season.
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27 min: Another fine save by Rulli, this time off a shot by Pique.
26 min: Granero is shown yellow for a foul on Rafinha, then De la Bella picks up another quickly after for a clattering challenge from behind on Messi.
22 min: Finally Sociedad string a few passes together after Bartra is dispossessed to sustain a foray into the final third, but it’s Vela – who’s only had a few touches so far – who is caught offside.
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19 min: Barcelona’s pressure has all but nullified the Sociedad attack. Seems like only a matter of time before the hosts strike.
16 min: Another charge for Barcelona, this time Neymar with the well-timed through pass to Messi, but his cross into the box toward an onrushing Suarez is intercepted by Rulli. Sociedad have not offered much in attack.
12 min: Some nice interplay from Messi and Neymar leads to a Neymar shot and another hair-trigger save by Rulli. After a sluggish start Barca looking sharper and more incisive in attack.
9 min: First chance of the match to Barcelona as Messi nearly finds the back of the net with a header off service from Alves. Rulli just redirects its trajectory over the crossbar.
6 min: We’ve overcome some technical difficulties but we’re underway. Barcelona in classic red and blue kits attacking from right to left, Sociedad in blue and white kits.
We’ll be underway shortly at the Nou Camp, so let’s dispense with the pleasantries and take a look at the teams:
Barcelona: Bravo; Alves, Piqué, Bartra, Adriano; Xavi, Mascherano, Rafinha; Messi, Suarez, Neymar
Real Sociedad: Rulli; Carlos Martinez, Inigo Martinez, Mikel Gonzalez, De la Bella; Bergara, Granero, Zabi Prieto, Ruben Pardo, Canales; Carlos Vela
When these teams met on 4 January, a Jordi Alba own goal in the second minute proved the difference as Sociedad earned a 1-0 victory. Bartra is in for Alba today as Barca looks to maintain their two-point lead over Real Madrid atop the La Liga table with three matches remaining.
Bryan will be here shortly. In the meantime why not read Sid Lowe on David Moyes’ unlikely revival at Real Sociedad:
Moyes joined Real Sociedad in November, eventually convinced by the persistence of the president, Jokin Aperribay. The decision was not easy for a man seeking to rebuild a reputation constructed over a decade at Everton and damaged in a matter of months at Manchester United: la Real were in the relegation zone, having won once in 10 games. But Moyes watched them beat Atlético Madrid, taking over the next day. On Saturday night they visit the Camp Nou, the risk long averted.
“I think it was a brave decision,” Moyes says. “I turned down Premier League jobs; I didn’t think they were right. I would never have left Everton if it hadn’t been Manchester United. I was [supposed to be] there six years and you think United give managers time. I’d worked incredibly hard to get to the top and it was taken away from me very quickly. I didn’t want the disappointment to last. I had to take a step back and climb up again. I wanted somewhere I’d be allowed to work, where I could enjoy football again.”
Witnessing him on the training pitch at Zubieta, calling out instructions mostly in English, occasionally in Spanish, it is clear he is enjoying it. There are things that must change, significant structural shifts, but Moyes sees progress and insists he is staying. “The president’s message was: ‘We badly want you, the players want you. It’s big for us,’” he says. “I saw potential to build. It was a gamble but it was the right time. I wasn’t going to sit about for six months. I wanted to work abroad, learn a new language, new football.”
