IMF to conduct Egypt's 5th, 6th reviews next fall    Venezuela vows to uphold sovereignty on 214th independence anniversary    Egypt's FM probes Gaza truce, Iran-Israel tensions with intl. figures    ADIB Egypt publishes second sustainability report for 2024    Over 215,000 projects funded under Mashrouak, exceeding EGP 33bn in May: Minister    Gaza ceasefire hopes rise amid intensifying Israeli strikes, mounting death toll    Egypt, Norway hold informal talks ahead of global plastic treaty negotiations    Greco-Roman tombs with hieroglyphic inscriptions discovered in Aswan    UN conference cites Egypt's 'NWFE' programme as model for development finance    Al-Sisi calls for unified efforts to hold elections in Libya, urges withdrawal of foreign forces    EGP edges down in Sunday morning currency trading    Egypt, Russia's Rosatom review grid readiness for El-Dabaa nuclear plant    Global tour for Korean 'K-Comics' launches in Cairo with 'Hellbound' exhibition    Egypt launches public-private partnership to curb c-sections, improve maternal, child health    Philip Morris Misr announces new price list effective 1 July    Egypt teams up with private sector to boost university rankings    Egypt reveals heritage e-training portal    Three ancient rock-cut tombs discovered in Aswan    Egypt condemns deadly terrorist attack in Niger    Egypt's FM, China's Wang discuss Iran-Israel escalation    Egypt's EHA, Schneider Electric sign MoU on sustainable infrastructure    Sisi launches new support initiative for families of war, terrorism victims    Grand Egyptian Museum opening delayed to Q4    Egypt expands e-ticketing to 110 heritage sites, adds self-service kiosks at Saqqara    Egypt's EDA joins high-level Africa-Europe medicines regulatory talks    Egypt's Irrigation Minister urges scientific cooperation to tackle water scarcity    Palm Hills Squash Open debuts with 48 international stars, $250,000 prize pool    Egypt's Democratic Generation Party Evaluates 84 Candidates Ahead of Parliamentary Vote    On Sport to broadcast Pan Arab Golf Championship for Juniors and Ladies in Egypt    Golf Festival in Cairo to mark Arab Golf Federation's 50th anniversary    Germany among EU's priciest labour markets – official data    Cabinet approves establishment of national medical tourism council to boost healthcare sector    Egypt's PM follows up on Julius Nyerere dam project in Tanzania    Egypt's FM inspects Julius Nyerere Dam project in Tanzania    Paris Olympic gold '24 medals hit record value    A minute of silence for Egyptian sports    Russia says it's in sync with US, China, Pakistan on Taliban    It's a bit frustrating to draw at home: Real Madrid keeper after Villarreal game    Shoukry reviews with Guterres Egypt's efforts to achieve SDGs, promote human rights    Sudan says countries must cooperate on vaccines    Johnson & Johnson: Second shot boosts antibodies and protection against COVID-19    Egypt to tax bloggers, YouTubers    Egypt's FM asserts importance of stability in Libya, holding elections as scheduled    We mustn't lose touch: Muller after Bayern win in Bundesliga    Egypt records 36 new deaths from Covid-19, highest since mid June    Egypt sells $3 bln US-dollar dominated eurobonds    Gamal Hanafy's ceramic exhibition at Gezira Arts Centre is a must go    Italian Institute Director Davide Scalmani presents activities of the Cairo Institute for ITALIANA.IT platform    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Barcelona stumbles again at Sociedad with 1-1 draw
Published in Ahram Online on 28 - 11 - 2016

Barcelona failed to break its soccer curse at Real Sociedad on Sunday in a 1-1 draw in the Spanish league, its seventh straight visit to Anoeta Stadium without a win.
Lionel Messi's equalizer could only salvage a point against a less talented but more inspired Sociedad side that left the titleholders six points behind leader Real Madrid.
Sociedad dominated the match throughout, going ahead through striker Willian Jose after halftime and coming close to getting the win when Carlos Vela hit the woodwork twice in the final minutes.
Luis Enrique's Barcelona must now prepare for Madrid's visit next weekend in a "clasico" match that the Catalan club must win to keep in touch with its fierce rival.
"You can rarely say this about Barcelona, but very little, actually nothing, went our way today," Barcelona defender Gerard Pique said. "We won't win the league playing like this."
Sociedad, coached by former Barcelona player and reserve team coach Eusebio Sacristan, continued its excellent start to the season. The draw ended its four-round winning streak as it remained in fifth place.
No ground— not Madrid's Santiago Bernabeu, not Atletico Madrid's Vicente Calderon, not Sevilla's Sanchez Pizjuan— bedevils Barcelona like Anoeta Stadium in San Sebastian. It hasn't won here since 2007, with a record since then of five losses and two draws.
Barcelona, a team that is synonymous with control of the ball and precision of pass, was unrecognizable.
Sociedad's pressure completely unnerved Barcelona, reducing a team of stars that was only missing the injured Andres Iniesta into a jittery, error-prone squad that couldn't stop the steady stream of chances for the hosts.
Sociedad's David Zurutuza, Xabi Prieto, Vela and Inigo Martinez all threatened to score before the half-hour mark, and Sociedad generated eight corner kicks before Barcelona even managed its first.
For all the verve Sociedad showed going forward, Barcelona's trio of Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez barely received the ball from their tired teammates.
The closest Barcelona came to mustering a shot on goal before halftime was Suarez's desperate long strike that flew wide when a loose ball fell to him.
Neymar finally forced goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli into action to parry his free kick in the 50th.
But that was only a prelude to Willian Jose's header that Pique tried to clear from the goal line only to send it into the top of the net in the 53rd. The goal came from a rebound of Marc-Andre ter Stegen's save against a shot by Vela.
Messi leveled the match six minutes later with his ninth goal of the campaign after Neymar finally broke down the left flank and squared the ball to the Argentina forward to rifle in with his left foot.
But Sociedad wasn't shaken and went close several times to getting a second goal. Vela hit the bar in the 76th— with the ball ricocheting off the goal line— and struck the upright in the 83rd.
Catalan television reported that Neymar was in a minor car accident in Barcelona before he and the team traveled to San Sebastian. He started the match and appeared unaffected by the incident.
(For more sports news and updates, follow Ahram Online Sports on Twitter at @AO_Sports and on Facebook at AhramOnlineSports)


Clic here to read the story from its source.