Sociedad spoils Barcelona’s title-lifting party

BARCELONA: Mikel Merino and Alexander Sorloth scored a goal each to earn Real Sociedad a 2-1 win at Barcelona on Saturday, handing the La Liga champion its first home defeat of the season on a day when it was celebrating its title triumph.

With the league title in the bag, there was an end-of-season feel at Camp Nou as the fans waited to see the Barcelona players lift the coveted trophy and post-match celebrations.

However, Sociedad made sure it would not go entirely the host’s way as the tourist got in front quickly, with Merino scoring with a tidy finish in just the fifth minute.

The visitor extended its lead via Sorloth in the 72nd minute while in-form striker Robert Lewandowski headed in a consolation for Barcelona from close range in the 90th. With three matches left, the fourth-placed Sociedad moved to 65 points and tightened its grip on the last Champions League qualification spot.

It is five points ahead of the fifth-placed Villarreal side, which defeated Girona 2-1 earlier on Saturday. Barcelona is at the top of the pile with 85 points in its bag.

RESULT: Barcelona 1 (R Lewandowski 90) lost to Real Sociedad 2 (M Merino 5, A Sorloth 72)

Barca fans want Messi’s return next

With the Spanish league title in hand, the Barcelona fans quickly moved on to what they want next: The return of Lionel Messi.

“Messi! Messi! Messi!” resounded at Camp Nou – in the 10th minute for Messi’s old No.10 shirt – during the match against Sociedad.

With Messi set to leave Paris St Germain this summer, Barcelona’s fans are hoping – perhaps naively considering the likely blockbuster offer from Saudi Arabia – that the superstar would want to come back to the club he joined when he was 13.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta has contributed to the rising expectations of the club’s supporters, even while insisting that the Spanish team cannot compete when it comes to wages. Instead, he hopes that the legacy of 35 titles which Messi won with Barcelona would do the trick.