Lewandowski and the CO mark four like Barcelona Thrash Real Sociedad to return to the top of the Liga – Firstpost

Barcelona won a comfortable 4-0 victory against Real Sociedad on Sunday to retreat at the top of the Liga. The red card of the first in Aritz Elustondo gave the Hansi Flick team a comfortable afternoon with Gerard Martin, Marc Casado, Ronald Araujo and Robert Lewandowski on the match sheet.

Atletico Madrid beat Bilbao athletic on Saturday to temporarily strike the Catalans from their perch, while Real Madrid, third, lost in Real Betis.

Flick was able to rotate his team a little in advance on the last 16 visits to the Champions League in Benfica on Wednesday and still moves a point over Atletico.

“There were a lot of things that helped us a lot today, the red card but also how we played, we were dominant after the red card,” Flick told journalists.

The German coach said before the match that Barça was fighting hard to win the three main competitions in which they were and reiterated him later.

“Today, we are satisfied with the three points and there is a long way to go at La Liga, the Copa del Rey and the Champions League,” he continued.

“We will fight for each title and when we started the season, no one (planned).

“We are in this situation that we can fight (for trophies), and that’s what we want until the end of the season.”

Real Sociedad, ninth, threatened in the first stages, but fell against the trap of Barcelona, ​​with Sergio Gomez’s strike.

At the other end, Barcelona’s playmaker Pedri Gonzalez, approached when he pressed the real goalkeeper Alex Remiro and diverted his attempted clearance just above and on the roof of the net.

The match swung Barcelona when Elustondo was sent in the 17th minute for lowering Dani Olmo, who was running.

The hosts took the lead after 25 minutes when Olmo reduced the ball so that Martin drew home the first goal of his career.

Four minutes later, Barça had their second, with Olmo involved again, this time, his capricious shot died at home by his teammate Casado.

The entrepreneurial lamin Yamal set up Pedri, but Remiro saved his shot from the box while Barça dominated.

‘Happy to help’

Pedri got closer again after the break with an effort from the beach that bounced on the transverse bar, shortly before Araujo obtained the third.

Remiro expelled the head of the local Lewandowski but Araujo nodded with the rebound.

Lewandowski intelligently converted the fourth in Barcelona, ​​producing at the house of the Araujo house remotely.

The 36 -year -old man leads the league with 21 goals in 25 appearances.

“I am very happy for our performance and it was important to win and start again to be leaders,” Araujo told Movistar.

“I am happy for the good job we have done and again first.”

Since he recovered from a bad knee injury, Araujo has not been able to recover a regular starting place in defense.

“I came back from a long -term injury, I am calm and I go step by step, I believe in me and my characteristics, and I am happy to help you,” said Araujo.

“I think it is important to have a competitive team to win titles, not just 11 players, but also a good bench.”

Barcelona played the last half hour without incident, sometimes threatening, with the replacement Ferran Torres twice almost a fifth.

“The red card, after that has completely changed, we came here to try to dominate the ball,” said Real Sociedad Javi Lopez defender.

“A sending changes everything … They were also lucky on their goals and it makes one of the best world teams very difficult.”

Elsewhere, Valencia seized an exciting 3-3 draw in Osasuna thanks to a remarkable stew of mounting wheels by Umar Sadiq.

The Nigeria striker scored a splint, the second of those of his spectacular finish of the Cross of Sergi Canos after 87 minutes to win his team an important point in the battle of relegation.

Valence is 18th, a point ahead of Alaves who drew 1-1 in Mallorca earlier on Sunday.

Leganes, 16th, beat Getafe 1-0 to move three points from the fall area.