Despite losing multiple players to injuries, Barcelona overcame Real Sociedad in their Thursday night’s LaLiga encounter.
Barca lost all but one of their starting defense to injuries in the second half. Jordi Alba, the lone survivor, and Clement Lenglet, brought on as a replacement, were in visible distress too. But, battered and bruised, Barcelona still managed to hold onto a narrow 1-0 lead to beat Sociedad on Thursday night.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored the only goal of the game in the 11th minute. Gavi p
ounced on the ball after it had bounced back off the upright and dinked a pass to the back post for Ferran Torres. Ferran, seeing as he was being closed down aggressively, lifted the ball calmly for the Gabon international at the other post to head it in.
Subsequently, Torres and Aubaemyang went close a minute within each other, both missing the target narrowly. At the other end, Alexander Isak and Alexander Sorloth missed great chances to bring La Real level, as Barcelona held on to win 1-0 and reaffirm their position in the table.
Meanwhile, Sevilla beat Levante 3-2 in a thrilling encounter at the latter’s home ground, Estadio Ciudad de Valencia. This was Levante’s second consecutive 3-2 home defeat, following the reverse against Barcelona last week.
Jesus ‘Tecatito’ Corona headed Sevilla in front in the 14th minute from close range, applying the finish to a cross by Lucas Ocampos. However, six minutes later, Diego Carlos handled the ball in the opposite box, and Levante were given a penalty which Jose Morales dispatched with ease.
Corona restored Sevilla’s lead with his second of the night in the 27th minute, lifting the ball over goalkeeper Dani Cardenas after the Levante defence had failed to clear a dangerous cross from Ocampos.
Levante were awarded a second spot-kick in the 70th minute for a foul by Marcos Acuna; Morales failed to hit the target this time, keeping the scores at 2-1. Jules Kounde added to Sevilla’s lead in the 82nd minute with a thumping header from a corner, but there was still time for Roberto Soldado to pull a goal back for the relegation-threatened side in the 87th minute. Nonetheless, Sevilla held on to win 3-2 and go third in the table.
