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:facepalm: Is he trying to get intimate with Garcia or... Pedri could've helped also. But it's mostly on Cubarsi for not marking his man and doing some stupid shite instead. Kounde sees it and goes to block that player, but in return leaves Oyarzabal at the far post with too much space. By the...

At the first goal this clueless guy is marking Pedri.

Sure. A creative loss. The 5th out of 5 without him being fit.

Yes, because other players are valuable as well. They can contribute also, just not at the level of Raphinha. Ease off with most creative game of the season without him. Many times with him, we sort out the games rather easily, so we don't need to insist much. He bags 1-2 goals and makes it...

Nah, Raphinha is by far the main man in the team at this. I didn't even insist on his pressing abilities, which vs a team so sketchy at the back and full of errors as Sociedad tonight, it would've been over at half time most likely. Anyway, my main problem is not that he missed a game. It...

Poor games by Raphinha where he is not directly involved in goals somehow... these days... absolute rarity. Just vs Bilbao and Madrid a few days ago, 1 big chance (the missed one from Yamal's pass vs Madrid), some half chances, 4 goals. 2 from personal executions.

But this is not about Espanyol match. Had Sociedad played a top game and beat us like last season 1-0 without us being able to do much, fair and square. The nature of the game is what makes me think Raphinha missing was decisive in losing the game. Not Raphinha per se that he can't be shut down...

Yeah, but he is the one you want for those tough away games. This goes way back. Even in 2023. Betis, Bilbao, Osasuna, he made the difference in those games with Xavi as well. A clutch player makes accidents like this one far more unlikely to happen.

Overall points won with Raphinha starting vs missing must be wild difference this season. Everything gets easier when you have a player that gets it done when it matters. A lot could have gone wrong without Raphinha vs Villareal, Atletico, Osasuna, Madrid. Probably some more.

I have a feeling we'd see more one offs like that if Raphinha were to get injured. And keep in mind Sociedad defended like crap. Almost as bad as Bilbao in the Supercup.

Raphinha can miss, this is not the point, but not everything like that, one after another, after another. He will miss one, then score the 2nd or the 3rd. Happened vs AM, Madrid, he missed a big one, but scored the other or the others. With the volume of chances we had, Raphinha wins this for us...

That was a match where they shut us down in midfield and we barely created any chances. This was a match where we created for fun but we had nobody to provide the finishing touch. To lose a match like this where Yamal alone set up at least 3-4 easy goals... takes some doing.

Yeah, the difference was Espanyol played a top defensive match. Sociedad didn't. This match? Of course we win it with Raphinha on. Probably easiest win in quite a while.

Yeah, I like our chances better with someone who can put the ball in the corner with power, not shoot it straight at the keeper. Accidents like these probably don't happen. To score 1 goal with the plethora of chances we had, it takes some special type of shite finishing. At least Espanyol...

I only know that we were some points behind Madrid without him, we came back with him, went on to + 4, and the moment he is not there, we lost most of that advantage.

Problem is, shots that used to go top corner of the goal last season now land in the stands. His shooting efficiency went to shite.

Yeah, was close range though. Would have been some save. But he saved harder.

Should have done better at that 2nd goal. Cost us today as well. Another error after that also. Remiro was better than him on the night.

He did the proper thing there. There was an opponent centrally unmarked, and you leave the wider player to close down the central one.

Look at Garcia in that picture. Textbook, opponent in front of him, close, breathing down his neck. Look at Cubarsi. He has no idea where the Sociedad player is.