After Tuesday’s Champions League triumph at Manchester City, Barcelona were sent back down to earth with a bang as they delivered a shambolic performance to deservedly lose 3-1 at Real Sociedad.
Barca’s much-changed back four couldn’t cope with the pace and invention of Sociedad strikers Carlos Vela and Antoine Griezmann, while their fractured attack operated only sporadically and relied upon individual creativity rather than teamwork.
Alex Song’s own goal sent Sociedad ahead, and although Lionel Messi soon equalised the hosts would not be denied, rightly taking the points with second half strikes from Griezmann and David Zurutuza.
After a slow start, Barca threatened when Andres Iniesta exchanged passes with Pedro to create a shooting chance, but the speedy winger curled narrowly wide.
Barca’s set-piece frailty resurfaced again when Sergio Canales delivered a dangerous ball which Victor Valdes failed to punch clear and the visitors were relieved to eventually scramble away.
Then Zurutuza advanced down the left and crossed to Vela, who chested down but snatched at his shot from 20 yards, sending it well wide.
Vela soon came closer, forcing a decent save from Valdes by whipping a dangerous shot towards the far post, and it was no surprise when Sociedad took the lead after a short corner led to Canales whipping in a brilliant cross which was glanced on by Gorka Elustondo and rebounded off Song to give Valdes no chance.
The lead didn’t last long. Messi had barely had a kick, but he immediately responded by exchanging passes with Martin Montoya and drilling a deadly low shot into the bottom right corner.
Vela should have made it 2-1 when he latched onto a dreadful clearance from Gerard Pique, but the Mexican striker blazed badly over the bar from a glorious position.
Both teams threatened from set-pieces early in the second period, with Marc Bartra heading straight at Claudio Bravo while Mikel Gonzalez nodded narrowly over from a Canales free-kick.
Sociedad then regained the lead, with Bartra misjudging a defensive header to allow Vela to break down the left, and the striker squared a pass into the path of Griezmann who stretched to fire home a firsttime right-footed strike.
Griezmann then turned provider by finding space on the right to deliver a perfect cross into the stride of Zurutuza, who beat the offside trap to stab past the advancing Valdes.
Barca rarely looked like responding, and nearly fell further behind when substitute Xabi Prieto hit the post late on.
