Barcelona 4-0 Real Sociedad: Dominant Display Puts Barca Back on Top

Barcelona returned to the summit of LaLiga with a commanding 4-0 victory over Real Sociedad at Camp Nou. The hosts, in rampant form, capitalized on an early red card and never looked back, delivering a clinical performance that left their opponents reeling.

The game took a decisive turn in the 17th minute when Real Sociedad captain Aritz Elustondo was shown a red card for a last-man foul on Dani Olmo, forcing the visitors to play with 10 men for the majority of the match. It was a pivotal moment, as Barcelona's relentless pressure soon overwhelmed their depleted opponents.

Eight minutes after the dismissal, the breakthrough came. Gerard Martín opened the scoring with his first senior goal for Barcelona, finishing off a delightful move orchestrated by Lamine Yamal and Olmo, who provided the assist. The floodgates had opened, and Barça smelled blood.

The second goal came just before halftime when Marc Casadó added his name to the scoresheet in fortunate fashion, deflecting Olmo's shot into the net off the post. This marked Casadó’s first goal for the club, continuing the trend of young Barcelona players scoring their debut goals in second-leg LaLiga matches, a feat achieved by the likes of Alejandro Balde and Jules Koundé just a year ago.

The second half saw Barça continue their dominance, with Real Sociedad unable to register a single shot throughout the game. In the 56th minute, Ronald Araujo extended the lead, heading in from a rebound after Robert Lewandowski's initial effort was saved. Four minutes later, Araujo turned provider, delivering a low cross that Lewandowski smartly tucked home to complete the rout.

Barcelona’s superiority was reflected in their 2.92 expected goals (xG), far exceeding their actual tally of four goals. In contrast, a deflated Real Sociedad finished with 0.00 xG, failing to create any meaningful chances.

The victory not only showcased Barça's attacking prowess but also underlined their defensive solidity, with Real Sociedad failing to threaten Marc-André ter Stegen’s goal. This result extends Barcelona's remarkable home record against Real Sociedad, having now won 26 of their last 27 LaLiga encounters at Camp Nou.

With this resounding win, Barcelona surged back to the top of the LaLiga standings, while Real Sociedad will be left to lick their wounds after a frustrating afternoon that saw them reduced to 10 men early on. Barcelona's next challenge will be to maintain their momentum as they continue their pursuit of the LaLiga title.