Barcelona defeated Real Sociedad with a score of 2:0 and regained second position in the Spanish Championship.
Lamin Yamal and Rafinha scored the goals that helped Barcelona beat Real Sociedad 2-0 at home and regain second place in the Spanish league on Monday.
Yamal, a 16-year-old Barca player, opened the scoring with a low shot upon arriving in the penalty area from Ilkay Gundogan’s pass in the 40th minute.
Raphinha extended Barca’s lead in the third minute of stoppage time by converting a penalty that was ruled by VAR for a handball by Alvaro Odriozola.
With Real Madrid crowned champions, the Blaugranas are looking to secure second place in the league against Girona. Javi Hernandez’s side have 76 points and are one ahead of their Catalan rivals, who drew 2-2 with Alaves on Friday.
“It was an important match to regain second position. This should be a nine-point week,” Yamal said. La Real went well. It was difficult for us to find ourselves in the game, but gradually we feel better.”
Since last day, Barça has abandoned the defense of the title won last season and which is already in the hands of Madrid, who top the standings with 90 points.
The second position is relevant when issuing one of the passes for the next Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia, where the first two in the table and the finalists of the Spanish Cup are present.
Real Sociedad, for its part, fell behind in the fight for one of the positions in the next Europa League. They are seventh with 54 points, one less than Real Betis in sixth.
Yamal gave clarity to Barca’s attack and scored his fifth goal in the championship. He was left alone in the attack in the center, where Gundogan played him a pass, which he converted with his right hand next to the post.
A few minutes earlier, the young Barca winger fired a shot over the frame from Raphinha’s crescent.
La Real faded as time went on and the most dangerous options they created before finding themselves at a disadvantage were canceled out by advanced positions or fouls by striker Sheraldo Becker.
Goalkeeper Alex Remiro avoided the goal several times with a couple of excellent interventions. He first took a shot from Raphinha, who was heading towards goal, and soon after blocked Ferran Torres’ shot heading towards goal.
Bryce Mendez also missed an opportunity to equalize late in the second half after he collected the ball from the opposition, reached the penalty area and fired a cross shot that barely hit one side of the frame.
Raphinha scored from the penalty spot in agony.
Before kick-off, a minute’s silence was observed in memory of the recently deceased Argentine coach Cesar Luis Menotti, who led the Catalans in the 1983-1984 campaign after winning the 1978 World Cup in Argentina.