PREVIEW | FC Barcelona v Reial Sociedad
FC Barcelona are returning to the Estadi Olimpic this Sunday at 6.30pm CEST. After playing the Gamper and the first two home league fixtures in the smaller setting of the Estadi Johan Cruyff, they now return to Montjuic, the scene of so many wonderful memories last season.
They are doing so on the back of some wonderful form, with five wins from their first six outings, and just two points dropped after the game at Rayo Vallecano ended in a draw. This time they face Real Sociedad, the game coming just three days after yet another comeback, this time to win 3-1 at newly promoted Oviedo.
Chance to go top
The game features the added attraction that a victory and three points would send Barça flying to the top of table. Real Madrid, who had a 100 per cent record going into the weekend, were soundly beaten 5-2 by Atlético in the local derby on Saturday, and if Barça defeat Real Sociedad, they would move one point ahead of Xavi Alonso's side.
The opposition
The Basques haven't had much of a season so far under new boss Sergio Francisco. It began with draws against Valencia and Espanyol, and then came three straight defeats to Oviedo, Real Madrid and Real Betis. Just two points out of a possible 15 left them near the bottom of the table, but a win at last, 1-0 over Mallorca on Wednesday, might suggest that things are finally falling into place for the team from San Sebastian.
The midweek winner was converted by the main man in the squad, Spanish international striker Mikel Oyarzabal, assisted by another of the big stars, Ander Barrenetxea. With players of the calibre of Gonçalo Guedes, Carlos Soler, Takefusa Kubo and Yangel Herrera among their ranks, it's hard to believe they are going to stay in the relegation for long, and Barça would be well-advised to appreciate that they are facing a much better side than recent results might suggest.
Head to head
In four of their last nine games against Real Sociedad, Barça have netted four times or more, including a spectacular 6-1 victory away from home in 2021. But that's not to say that they have always had things go their own way. Just last season, Barça suffered a 1-0 reverse at Anoeta, and we don't have to too far back in time, only to 2023, to find the most recent example of Barça losing at home to the Txuri-Urdin.
Hopefully there will be none of that in Sunday's game and instead something resembling last year's meeting at Montjuic, when Barça ran out comfortable 4-0 winners:
Team news
Barça were hit with a double blow against Oviedo on Thursday, with two of their key players lost to injury. Joan García tore the meniscus in his left knee and is out for 4-6 weeks, meaning Wojciech Szczesny will be returning to the nets, where he performed so splendidly last season.
And Raphinha, who has been one of the team's standout players this season, will be out of action for the best part of the month after picking up a hamstring injury against the Asturians.
That's two more names on a treatment list that already included Gavi, Balde Ter Stegen and FermÍn López, but there was also good news this week as Lamine Yamal is back in the squad after a spell on the sidelines.
But the visitors are also coming into the game with a depleted squad. None of Aritz Elustondo, Rupérez, Óskarsson or Yangel Herrera were included a match-day squad that is more or less the same one that beat Mallorca on Wednesday.
