A comeback win fires the Catalans into top spot
Flick rings the changes as Barca go top
Barcelona moved top of La Liga on Sunday night with a comeback win over Real Sociedad at Montjuic.
The Catalans went behind in the first half but hit back through goals from Jules Kounde and Robert Lewandowski and now sit one point clear of Real Madrid at the summit.
Hansi Flick made plenty of changes to his starting XI for this one, partly because of injury and partly because Barca have the small matter of a game against PSG in midweek.
Wojciech Szczęsny was back between the sticks to replace injured stopper Joan Garcia, while Flick also handed starts to 17-year-old Dro Fernandez and summer signing Roony Bardghji.
Dro is now the youngest player to feature in La Liga so far this season and it will be no surprise to see him again before too long. The teenager had a steady 45 minutes but was hooked at half-time for Dani Olmo as Flick sought more creativity and penetration from his side.
Roony also had another outing and looked far more comfortable than he did against Valencia. It’s easy to forget he’s still only 19 but these minutes will help him as he adjusts to life with the Catalan giants after something of a surprise summer move.
Rashford corners a useful weapon for Barcelona
Barcelona’s equaliser came from the head of Kounde after a precise corner into the penalty area from Marcus Rashford.
The England international’s set-piece delivery is becoming a really useful weapon for Barcelona. That’s now two corner assists in two games for Rashford, as he also set up Ronald Araujo’s goal against Real Oviedo.
Rashford’s latest contribution also means he now has three assists and three goals for Barca in eight appearances which is an excellent return from the new signing.
The Englishman may also fancy adding to his tally against PSG. Rashford has a good record against the Ligue 1 side and heads into the match with real momentum after a good few weeks with Barca.
Instant impact from Lamine Yamal
Lamine Yamal made his return from injury as a second-half substitute against Real Oviedo and made an instant impact to help put Barcelona ahead.
The teenager had only been on the pitch a matter of seconds when he beat his man down the right flank and put the ball in for Robert Lewandowski to head Barcelona in front.
It was an absolutely brutal piece of play by the Barcelona teenager in a week where he finished second to Ousmane Dembele in the Ballon d’Or awards.
Yamal’s presence simply added far more threat to Barca’s attack and they should have added more goals after his arrival.
The teenager saw an effort disallowed for a marginal offside and then teed up Lewandowski again, with the help of Ferran Torres, only to see the veteran smash an effort off the woodwork,
After a few weeks on the sidelines, it’s great to see Yamal back in action and looking very much in the mood ahead of a visit from the European champions in midweek.
Category: General Sports
