Barcelona failed to continue their impressive form under Hansi Flick losing 1-0 to Real Sociedad on Sunday before players depart for international duties.
Hansi Flick’s team have been scoring for fun this season but they faced a major setback against Real Sociedad. The performance against Sociedad left fans puzzled and hoping for a positive response when league matches resume.
Barcelona were without Lamine Yamal and this left a big void in their attack. Prior to this defeat, Yamal was also not part of the squad that suffered Barca’s only other La Liga defeat against Osasuna, a match that ended in a 2-4 loss.
To make things worse, Barcelona recorded a startling statistic which highlights the disarray within Hansi Flick’s squad during the match.
Real Sociedad keeper had one of the easiest games he’s likely had all season, with Barcelona failing to put any shot on target.
There was only one close call—he had to react to a rebound—but beyond that, the Barcelona attack posed little threat.
Interestingly, it has been over a decade since such an occurrence last happened to Barça. Not since a 2014 match under coach Luis Enrique against Malaga had Barcelona failed to register a shot on target.
Barcelona are known for their attacking prowess but no one would have predicted what happened against Sociedad.
Despite having 11 attempts on goal in this match, none seriously troubled the Real Sociedad keeper, and even a strike from Robert Lewandowski that hit the back of the net was ruled out by VAR for offside.
Also, for the first time this season, Barcelona ended a match without scoring. In their previous 16 competitive matches, they had managed to find the net in each one, even in defeats.
