Barcelona will look to return to winning ways when they hit the road to square up against Imanol Alguacil’s Real Sociedad.
Barcelona’s unbeaten run in the 2023/24 season came to an end in their last outing against Real Madrid. Things did not go according to plan for Xavi Hernandez’s team, and they will look to put a better performance when they face Real Sociedad away from home.
The home team are currently fifth on the points table, with 19 points out of their 11 matches. They have won five matches, drawn four and lost twice in the ongoing season. It has not been the best of starts but they have been doing a decent job so far.
Real Sociedad are currently five points behind Barcelona who are currently fourth on the points table. A win against the Catalan giants will surely help them push for a place in the top four and will also be a big morale booster for the entire squad.
They are heading into this fixture on the back of a hard-fought 1-0 win over Bunol in the Copa del Rey. Despite dominating the proceedings, they could not make it count beyond the solitary goal. But La Real will need to be much better in the final third against Barcelona as they will only get a handful of chances.
The visitors are fourth in the league with 24 points out of their 11 league games. They have won seven matches, drawn three and lost just once so far. They are four points behind league leaders Real Madrid.
Xavi’s team might not be top of the points table but have been one of the most impressive teams of the ongoing season. Despite numerous injuries, they have managed to maintain a level of performance and quite a few youngsters have stepped up and delivered in the absence of big stars.
They are heading into this fixture on the back of a loss in El Clasico. They were the more dominant team out of the two on the night. Despite that, they ended up losing the game thanks to the sensational performance of Jude Bellingham.
Some big stars are back in the mix for the Catalan giants and they will look to put up a better show in the final third against Real Sociedad as they look to return to winning ways. Meanwhile, The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could use.
Team News & Tactics
Real Sociedad
The home team will be without the services of Andre Silva, Kieran Tierney, and Martin Merquelanz for this fixture against the defending champions. While the availability of Ander Barrenetxea is still doubtful, he is expected to be back in time.
π PrΓ³ximo reto
π FC Barcelona
π Reale Arena
π SΓ‘bado
β° 21:00
π AURRERA REALA!!!
#WeareReal pic.twitter.com/PgqG2stBAA— Real Sociedad FΓΊtbol (@RealSociedad) November 2, 2023
Imanol Alguacil will make quite a few changes to the XI that started in the Copa del Rey. All of his first-team regulars are expected to be back in the mix for this match.Β Alguacil could go ahead with the 4-3-3 formation, where Alex Remiro will continue in goal.
Hamari Traore and Aihen Munoz will continue as the full-backs. They will support Igor Zubeldia and Robin Le Normand, who will feature in the heart of the defence.’
Martin Zubimendi will feature as the holding midfielder. He will have the support of Mikel Merino and Brais Mendez in the centre of the park. The trio will try their best to ensure Barcelona do not dominate possession of the ball.
In the attack, Takefusa Kubo and Ander Barrenetxea will take charge of the flanks. The duo will look the stretch the opposition and cut inside at every possible opportunity. Meanwhile, Mikel Oyarzabal will feature as a number nine.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Remiro; Traore, Zubeldia, Le Normand, Munoz; Mendez, Zubimendi, Merino; Kubo, Oyarzabal, Barrenetxea
Barcelona
Xavi Hernandez will be without the services of Sergi Roberto for this fixture. Everyone else has made a return from injury. Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha were used as substitutes in their last outing. Meanwhile, Jules Kounde was on the bench.
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πππππ½πΌππ#ππππ‘ππ€πππππππ½ππ§πΜ§π pic.twitter.com/1ror3qBIlB— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) November 3, 2023
While Pedri and Frenkie de Jong have returned from injury, their participation is still doubtful. The Catalan giants will stick to the 4-3-3 formation, where Marc-Andre ter Stegen will continue in the goal.
Ronald Araujo, who was used as a right-back in the Clasico to keep Vinicius Junior in check, will return to a more central role. Joao Cancelo, who featured as a winger, will be back in his usual right-back slot. Alejandro Balde will continue as the left-back. Araujo will have the support of Kounde at the heart of the defence.
Oriol Romeu will be the defensive midfielder, and he will have the support of Gavi and Ilkay Gundogan. The trio will look to dominate possession and dictate the pace of this fixture from the middle of the park.
Raphinha will most likely start on the right flank, while Joao Felix will continue on the left. Meanwhile, star striker Robert Lewandowski will start from the first whistle. So, Lamine Yamal and Ferran Torres should be options on the bench.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): ter Stegen; Cancelo, Araujo, Kounde, Balde; Gavi, Romeu, Gundogan; Raphinha, Lewandowski, Felix
Key Stats
- In the last 48 matches between the two teams, Barcelona have won 33 times while Real Sociedad only have seven wins to their wins.
- Before suffering a defeat at the hands of Real Madrid last time out, Barcelona were unbeaten in all competitions.
- Barcelona have the third-best defence in the league they have conceded 12 goals in 11 outings.
- Real Sociedad won the last meeting between the two teams earlier this year.
- Prior to Sociedad’s last win over Barcelona, the Catalan giants were on a five-match winning streak against the home team.
Player to Watch
Robert Lewandowski
Lewandowski’s injury was a huge headache for the Spanish giants, and his return will surely help their cause. In his absence, Barcelona were not clinical enough in the final third.
The Polish international had featured in 10 matches and had contributed towards as many goals before getting injured. While he did not have much of an impact on his return against Real Madrid, he is expected to play a bigger part against Sociedad and will surely look to get his name on the scoresheet.
Prediction
Real Sociedad 1-2 Barcelona
The Catalan giants might be heading into this fixture on the back of a disappointing loss against Real Madrid. But, they will still be confident of getting the right result against Real Sociedad. They were the dominant team against Los Blancos. But their performance in the final third was not good enough.
With Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha back in the mix, Xavi Hernandez’s team will be confident of returning to winning ways. Meanwhile, Real Sociedad have done a decent job so far this season. But, they might not have enough in their rank to cause an upset against the defending champions.
The home team have quality players, and they will surely make things difficult for Barcelona. But, the Catalan giants might still take away all three points in the end. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for the away team.
