Lamine Yamal was again the star of the show for Barcelona at the Anoeta on Sunday night but it was all for nothing as the La Liga leaders fell to a 2-1 loss at Real Sociedad. The Barca teen shone down the right but was unable to inspire the Blaugrana to victory, with Hansi Flick's men now just a point clear of arch rivals Real Madrid at the summit.

Barcelona stars were queuing up to praise goalkeeper Joan Garcia after his stoppage-time heroics saved the Catalan giants from a potential Copa del Rey disaster against Racing Santander. The Spanish champions scraped through to the quarter-finals with a 2-0 victory, but the scoreline masked a nervy evening where only the brilliance of their shot-stopper prevented them from suffering the same humiliating fate as arch-rivals Real Madrid.

The Christmas period is upon us, which means we are somehow already more or less at the midway point of the 2025-26 football season. As many of Europe's leading leagues pause for the winter break, it's time to take stock and reflect on four scintillating months of action. It's also the opportune moment to assess those players who completed transfers across the continent in the summer, now that they have a decent sample size of games under their belts.

Hansi Flick has confirmed that the decision regarding Marc-Andre ter Stegen’s future lies solely with the goalkeeper himself, insisting the club is happy to keep him despite his reduced role. The Barcelona boss addressed the situation ahead of the Copa del Rey fixture against Guadalajara, where he revealed that current number one Joan Garcia will be dropped to the bench to rest.