Hansi Flick’s Barcelona will be looking for their fourth straight win in the league when they host a struggling Real Sociedad.
Having picked up their first league win last time out, Real Sociedad will be looking to build on it, but going up against giants Barcelona away from home certainly won’t be easy.
The home team are second on the points table with 16 points in their six outings. They have won five of those fixtures and have played out a draw.
Flick’s team have been a force to reckon with post the international break. They have won all four of their fixtures across competitions, scoring 14 goals and conceding just two. Their last outing was a comfortable 3-1 win over Real Oviedo, and they will be looking for a similar result against Sociedad.
The visitors have had a very disappointing start to the new season. They were winless in their first five league outings. While they started with back-to-back draws, Sociedad went on a three-match losing streak. However, they are back on track, having secured their first win last time out.
They managed to defeat Mallorca 1-0. While they did get all three points, it wasn’t that convincing a performance. Despite dominating the ball and creating a lot of chances, they were simply not clinical enough. Sociedad will need a much-improved performance to trouble the Catalan giants. The Hard Tackle takes a close look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Barcelona
Fermin Lopez, Marc-Andre ter Stegen and Gavi remain on the sidelines. They are being joined by Raphinha and Joan Garcia. Meanwhile, they do have a boost as Lamine Yamal and Alejandro Balde are expected to be back in the squad for this fixture.
Flick will surely be making a handful of changes to the XI that started in their last outing. He will stick with the 4-3-3 formation, with Wojciech Szczesny making his first start of the season.
Jules Kounde and Gerard Martin should be the full-backs, with Eric Garcia starting alongside Ronald Araujo in the heart of the defence.
In the centre of the park, Frenkie De Jong will form the double pivot with Marc Casado. The duo will shield the backline and look to control the tempo of the game.
Ferran Torres and Marcus Rashford should feature on the flanks, while Dani Olmo will take up the number ten role. Finally, goalscoring machine, Robert Lewandowski should lead the line for Barcelona against Real Sociedad on Sunday.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Szczesny; Kounde, Eric Garcia, Araujo, Martin; de Jong, Casado; Ferran Torres, Olmo, Rashford; Lewandowski
Real Sociedad
The visitors will be without the services of Yangel Herrera and Orri Oskarsson. Meanwhile, Aritz Elustondo’s availability is a major doubt.
Against Barcelona, Real Sociedad will stick with the 4-5-1 formation, where Alex Remiro will take charge in goal. Jon Aramburu and Sergio Gomez should be the full-backs, with Igor Zubeldia starting alongside Duje Caleta-Car in the heart of the defence.
Takefusa Kubo and Ander Barrenetxea will feature out wide on the flanks, providing much-needed width to their attacks. In the centre of the park, Brais Mendez will start alongside Jon Gorrotxategi and Carlos Soler.
The trio will look to ensure Barcelona midfielders do not end up dominating the proceedings. Meanwhile, Mikel Oyarzabal will spearhead the Real Sociedad attack against Barcelona on Sunday.
Probable Lineup (4-5-1): Remiro; Aramburu, Zubeldia, Caleta-Car, Gomez; Kubo, Mendez, Gorrotxategi, Soler, Barrenetxea; Oyarzabal
Key Stats
- Barcelona are unbeaten in the 2025/26 season with six wins and a draw across competitions.
- The Catalan giants recorded a 4-0 win over Real Sociedad in the corresponding fixture last season.
- Real Sociedad have managed to win two out of their last meetings against Barcelona.
- Real Sociedad could only manage an 11th-place finish last season, their lowest since 2018.
- Barcelona have won 116 out of their 196 matches against Real Sociedad in all competitions.
Player to Watch
Marcus Rashford
The English international is making the most out of his loan spell at Barcelona. While he had a slow start, the 27-year-old has been firing on all cylinders post the international break. Rashford bagged an assist in each of their last three league outings, and he scored a brace against Newcastle United in the UEFA Champions League.
Given the kind of form he has been in, Rashford can certainly have a big say on the end result of this fixture. It won’t be much of a surprise if he ends up adding to his tally of five goal contributions against Real Sociedad.
Prediction
Barcelona 3-1 Real Sociedad
Barcelona head into this fixture in red-hot form, and they will be confident of extending their winning run. With Robert Lewandowski firing up front and Marcus Rashford finding his stride, Hansi Flick’s men have the firepower to trouble any defence. Add to that their defensive solidity in recent weeks, and the Catalan giants look well-equipped to secure another convincing result at home.
Real Sociedad might have finally picked up their first win of the season, but they will need a far more clinical performance if they are to trouble Barcelona. Their struggles in front of goal and defensive lapses could prove costly against such a ruthless side. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for the home team.
