Real Sociedad vs. Barcelona: Score, Reaction from 2016 La Liga Match

La Liga leaders Barcelona stumbled to a 1-0 defeat at Real Sociedad on Saturday evening, with Mikel Oyarzabal's fifth-minute breakthrough enough to separate the two teams at Anoeta Stadium, leaving Atletico Madrid just three points off the summit.

The loss marks the first time since May 2014 that Barcelona have gone three Primera Division fixtures without a win, having lost to El Clasico rivals Real Madrid last Saturday and drawing against Villarreal prior to that.

Manager Luis Enrique fielded a much-altered XI for the trip, with one eye on Wednesday's Champions League quarter-final second leg against Atletico Madrid. Arda Turan and Rafinha started alongside Sergio Busquets in place of benched duo Andres Iniesta and Ivan Rakitic, while Sergi Roberto began at left-back in place of Jordi Alba.

Munir El Haddadi filled in for the suspended Luis Suarez in attack, with Lionel Messi and Neymar either side of him.

Bleacher Report's Jason Pettigrove couldn't help but praise the home team's display:

Real Sociedad's start to the proceedings Saturday was fast and furious, with 18-year-old Oyarzabal taking all of five minutes to evade the mark of Gerard Pique and head his side into a stunning lead at Anoeta.

Sky Sports Statto revealed how the omens didn't bode well for Barca after conceding the opening goal away from home:

While the versatile Roberto provided a decent outlet in defence, his impact in attack simply wasn't as cutting as that of regular left-back Alba, while the same could be said for stand-ins Turan and Rafinha.

Manager Eusebio Sacristan's side benefited from a high-tempo approach in the opening 45 minutes, and though that intensity was inevitably difficult to maintain as the game grew, the hosts drove on.

La Real almost added a second goal to their tally in the 42nd minute, when an incisive pass saw left-back Alberto De la Bella find space in front of Claudio Bravo's goal, only for Barca to just recover in time and clear their lines.

Despite chances for both teams, the home team went in at the interval with a lead to their name, and the deficit was another poor precursor if Barca's hopes were to enact a revival:

The second half was where Barca and Messi, in particular, came to have a say in front of Real Sociedad's goal, but stopper Geronimo Rulli contributed a series of spectacular saves to keep Sacristan's men ahead.

Spanish newspaper AS highlighted one shot in particular from his Argentinian compatriot, with Messi denied the role of hero and a 500th career goal:

ESPN Stats and Info noted it is Messi's first four-game goal-less streak for Barcelona since 2011.

In the end, Barca's incessant knocking came to nought, and despite the second-half introductions of Iniesta, Alba and Rakitic, their attack was muted by an exasperated Real Sociedad side.

Even Oyarzabal, scorer of the eventual winner, was seen tracking back in defence until he was withdrawn with minutes remaining, cramp clearly setting in among the players.

Although we've come to expect every kind of revival from the Catalan titans, there was no such turnaround in sight Saturday, as the absence of Suarez in particular appeared to take its toll.

Alvaro Barrientos/Associated Press

Enrique will be under no illusions that his team appear to be feeling the effects of a multipronged campaign that sees them in serious competition for a back-to-back treble but now left drained with so many commitments.

Next up for Real Sociedad is a trip to Eibar next Saturday. After Real Madrid haunted the struggling outfit with a 4-0 victory on Saturday, they can hope to hit the mid-table outfit while they're vulnerable.

Barca have a much more immediate challenge at hand, and they have just four days to prepare for a titanic Champions League collision at the Vicente Calderon, where Atletico stand between them and a semi-final spot.

Post-Match Reaction

Alvaro Barrientos/Associated Press

A new sense of competition was given to La Liga in the wake of Saturday's result, where Barcelona were made to look all too human—and not for the first time in recent weeks.

Speaking to the media after the result, Enrique pointed out Barca "never said the league was over," per the club's official website, proving any humble talk of fighting until the last was spot on after all:

"

You need to have more possession against a team that defends like they do.

We were poor in the first half. We lacked control and order, and we wanted to sort the game out more with our hearts than with our heads.

Rulli had yet another great day against us. We didn’t deserve to lose, but the result is what we got. And after 32 games, it’s still us who are top of the league.

"

Barcelona will have felt the pressure prior to Saturday's defeat, but Enrique expanded upon their newfound burden and added: "We have no margin for error, the evidence tells us that. This league will be won by the team that is most emphatic over the last few weekends."

With only three points now separating them from closet opponents Atletico with six games of the league campaign remaining, the Blaugrana must get their priorities right in what looks to be a mad dash to the season's end.