For over a decade, Real Sociedad’s stadium, Anoeta, stood as a fortress the Catalans could not conquer. It was deemed a curse, as even Barca’s treble-winning sides could not win a match in the stadium.
Ernesto Valverde’s Barca finally broke this curse in January 2018 with a thrilling 4-2 comeback win. Let’s relive and discuss Barca’s struggles, tactical changes and heroic performances in that match, which ended a 10-year streak of disappointment in San Sebastian.
The Curse of Anoeta
It had been ten long years of frustration for Barcelona fans, as the Anoeta stadium was a nightmare the Blaugrana couldn’t escape. Barca was at the peak of its prowess in those years, as the club won countless trophies in Spain and Europe. However, from Pep Guardiola to Luis Enrique, none of the managers could conquer the stadium and always left it empty-handed.
The stadium turned out to be a psychological burden for the team. Media and fans started anticipating each year, and negativity was filled within the Barca team due to such speculations before the match. It was named “The Anoeta Curse,” as every match with Sociedad at Anoeta turned out to be a monumental challenge for Barca.
Coach Ernesto Valverde took over in 2017. In January 2018, he made his first visit to the ‘accursed’ stadium. Fans wondered: Will the new coach finally put this curse to rest?
Real Sociedad Dominated the First Half
The match kicked off like many others at Anoeta: Barca was on the back foot. Sociedad wasted no time in asserting dominance, as William Jose opened the team’s account in the 11th minute. It was a thunderous header, and it set the tone for the first half for Sociedad. They controlled the midfield and literally cooked Barcelona. Matters became worse as Juanmi doubled the lead in the 34th minute.
Barcelona players looked disjointed and were unable to find the rhythm. Leo Messi and Suarez were not given much of the ball. It looked like Barca’s misery would continue this year, too, as Messi and co. went down the tunnel, disappointed with a score of 2-1 due to a vital pull-back goal by Paulinho.
Valverde’s Tactical Brilliance: The Turning Point
The second half was a completely different story due to Ernesto Valverde’s tactical genius. He recognized that Sociedad has control of the midfield and instructed his team to press higher, gain more possession and exploit the flanks with quick transitions.
His team responded brilliantly and the tempo of the game turned in favor of Barca. Suddenly, Sociedad’s rock solid defense was stretched thin and a few cracks began to appear.
Messi and Suarez: The Heroes of Anoeta
Luis Suarez scored twice quickly as Barca turned the tables in Anoeta. Messi and Rakitic were brilliant in controlling the tempo of the game and made the Sociedad defense leaky.
The lead was thin, however, and Messi looked to finish the match before stoppage time. Mikel Oyarzabal gave Messi the perfect opportunity by fouling in the 84th minute.
The distance was long, but it was La Pulga who was standing near the dead ball. Messi looked up, calculated the distance and stepped back two steps. He delivered a mesmerizing left-footed blow in the top left corner of the net. Rulli, the Sociedad keeper, stood as a statue as he watched the ball go into the back of the net. The match ended 4-2 in favor of Barca.
It was a fantastic victory as it ended the frustrating decade-long curse of Anoeta. Valverde’s Barca finally gave culers the joy of an Anoeta win and solidified their spot as La Liga leaders in a historic campaign.