Pellegrino Matarazzo got his tactics right on Sunday as Real Sociedad topped Barca, 2-1


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The race for the LaLiga title is back on after Barcelona were shocked in an away trip, losing 2-1 to Real Sociedad as Raphinha was sorely missed in the attack. The Brazilian was absent with a thigh injury, throwing off the balance of Barcelona's attack and providing room for Real Sociedad to take advantage of the space created to break Barcelona's 11-game winning streak in all competitions.

American manager Pellegrino Matarazzo got his tactics spot on to win the match despite Barcelona dominating possession, holding the ball for 73% of the match. Matarazzo took charge at Sociedad during the LaLiga winter break and has been undefeated in his four games in charge, drawing against Atletico Madrid and now defeating Barcelona. These results are pushing Sociedad up the table as they are in eighth place, within striking distance of securing European soccer for next season.

Losing means that Barcelona's lead atop LaLiga has now shrunken to only one point over Real Madrid, who have been navigating their own crisis after moving on from Xabi Alonso and appointing Alvaro Arbeloa as their manager. Los Blancos may be out of the Copa Del Rey, but they can still best Barcelona in Champions League and LaLiga play if Hansi Flick's men don't get things back on track.

Raphinha's injury is one that's expected to keep him out long term, but it does showcase that the Brazilian is an irreplaceable member of the Barcelona attack. When he's not there, defenses can collapse on Lamine Yamal, making it harder for Barcelona to get things going. Dani Olmo and Fermin Lopez have their moment, but neither is as consistent as Raphinha at making something out of nothing.

With an away trip to Slavia Praha in Champions League play on Wednesday (which you can catch on Paramount+), Barcelona should be able to get past them even if Raphinha doesn't feature, but his play in the new year has been nothing short of sensational. In four games played in 2026, Raphinha has been involved in six goals for Barcelona, and he'll be critical to any success that they have.

Losses like this one are a good reminder that it's a long season and being able to rotate is critical, so if Raphinha isn't at 100 percent for Champions League play, there's no reason to push him because it's clear how important he is to Barcelona's long-term success.

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