Barcelona is set to host Real Sociedad on September 28, 22:00 (IST) at the Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys. The Culers are 2nd in the table while La Real are 16th.
Barcelona vs Real Sociedad Key Stats:
- Head-to-Head: The last 36 meetings have witnessed a complete domination by Barcelona, winning 24 of them, losing 7, whereas 5 ended in a draw. Real Sociedad can’t catch up quickly, but can surely hope that they take a positive step towards averting relegation.
- Last 5 matches: Barcelona are undefeated in their last five games, drawing just 1 on September 1st against Raye Vallecano. The visitors, though, have been visibly struggling, winning just 1 out of their last 5 outings. Sergio Francisco would hope that his team put up at least a 90-minute performance against the defending La Liga Champions.
- In the last 13 meetings between the two, we have always seen a result. The hope remains that the same happens this time around. Barcelona have scored 15 goals in their last 5 matches compared to 5 goals scored by Sociedad in the same number of games. Barcelona has also kept 3 clean sheets, meaning it won’t be an easy job for the visitors with their current scoring struggles.
Key Players to watch out for:
Lamine Yamal is set to return to the squad and will undoubtedly become one of the players to watch out for the hosts. The Ballon d’Or runner-up will be eager to resume from where he left off last season, a season to remember for the Spaniard. Ferran Torres also deserves a shout after a great start to the season, leading the scoring charts for Barcelona as things stand.
For Real Sociedad, Mikel Oyarzabal will have a lot of eyes on him after he scored the only goal for his side in their first win of the season against Mallorca. He has had 3 goal involvements till now and will be one of the key reasons if Sociedad come out flying. The Japanese speedster Takefusa Kubo will also look to threaten the flanks with his presence.
Predicted Line-up:
Barcelona XI: Wojciech Szczesny, Jules Kounde, Eric Garcia, Ronald Araujo, Gerard Martin, Frenkie De Jong, Pedri, Ferran Torres, Dani Olmo, Marcus Rashford, Robert Lewandowski
Real Sociedad XI: Alex Remiro, Jon Aramburu, Igor Zubeldia, Duje Caleta-Car, Sergio Gomez, Takefusa Kubo, Brais Mendez, Jon Gorrotxategi, Carlos Soler, Ander Barrenetxea, Mikel Oyarzabal
Key Injuries:
Barcelona: Raphinha, Gavi, Joan Garcia, Fermin Lopez
Real Sociedad: Aritz Elustondo, Yangel Herrera, Orri Oskarsson
What to expect?
Barcelona will try not to complicate things amidst injuries and also keep in mind their upcoming UCL clash with PSG. Real Sociedad have nothing to lose and should try to cause problems by sticking to their positives. Barcelona is expected to take the 3 points, but it will be intriguing to see if the visitors can come out with an upset.
