The hard lesson for Real Sociedad: a loss to Inter that ends in a draw

SPORTS / By Carmen Gomaro

A decade later, Real celebrated their return to the Champions League with a colossal performance against Inter. A real bathroom that, football things, finally ended in a draw. Lautaro's goal in the final stretch froze the spirits of the San Sebastian fans, still stunned by so many missed opportunities. But the top tournament never forgives those who get distracted. In the Champions League, successful finishing is as important as defensive inattention. And no concessions can be made to a rival with that shield.. [Narrative and statistics (1-1)]

For 75 minutes, the txuri-urdin conviction contrasted with the ineffectiveness of an unrecognizable Inter. Almost immediately, Real was able to go up 3-0, although Brais didn't hit Sommer in the first instance and Barrenetxea's left-footed shot was spit out by the post.. Until a blatant mistake by Bastoni at the start was taken advantage of by Brais to the delirium of the REALE Arena.

The last Champions League finalist, one of the fittest teams in Europe, was swallowed up unceremoniously. Real always found a free man, driven by Zubimendi and Merino, with the industriousness of Oyarzabal and the subtleties of Kubo, who left the score 2-0 in the head of Le Normand, without the conviction that the gift deserved.. It was a miracle that Inter reached the break with a narrow defeat.

Merino, to the crossbar

With Lautaro out of circulation and the visiting indolence insulting, the second half continued.. Barella saw a direct red card for a stomp on Brais' crotch, but the protests took their toll on Michael Oliver, who changed his opinion after consulting the VAR monitor.. Almost immediately, Kubo took a corner kick right where Merino was waiting, whose fierce header hit the crossbar..

Pippo Inzaghi, unhinged in the technical area, could not even count a well-directed shot towards Remiro. When it arrived, in a beautiful action between Alexis Sánchez and Carlos Augusto on the left, Thuram's shot into the net was disallowed for offside.. However, in the last round of changes, realistic fortunes had begun to turn.. The wear and tear, after more than an hour of suffocating pressure in the rival field, took its toll.

With a quarter of an hour left, Real needed strength to achieve what they had so deserved; to accelerate the advance of the clock and not to play anything; to stop Dimarco's runs or Dumfries' push with fouls. But she didn't know how to impose that football, with which she now doesn't feel identified.. When Inter began to believe that they could scratch something, it was already too late. A misguided shot by Frattesi was read by Lautaro before the center backs. Without competitive ground you will never get anywhere in the Champions League.