FC Barcelona host Real Sociedad in La Liga Matchday 32
Barcelona have a key game in the league because they need to get back on track after two losses in a row in all competitions.
Form
The Catalans are in poor form currently due to losses against Málaga in the league, and Juventus in the Champions League. Prior to that, they had won three games in a row, which included a convincing 3-0 win against Sevilla. Real Sociedad are in poor form as well because they had been on a five game winless run until they beat Sporting Gijón in their last match.
Squads
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In terms of injuries, Javier Mascherano has been added to the list with a calf problem. Arda Turan is still unavailable due to not being back to full fitness. Long-term absentees Rafinha and Aleix Vidal make up the rest of the unavailable players. The Catalans are boosted by the return of Sergio Busquets who served a suspension against Juventus, but they are without Neymar as he starts his three game suspension. Real Sociedad have a few injuries of their own to deal with. Álvaro Odripzola is out as he is yet to recover from the injury he picked up against Atlético Madrid. Carlos Martínez and Imanol Agirretxe are both out due to long-term injuries. La real are also missing Juanmi due to suspension, which is a big blow because he is one of their top scorers with nine goals in the league.
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History
Barça have an excellent record against these opponents at the Camp Nou. The Blaugrana have won their last ten meetings in all competitions at home. However, this fixture is very dependent on home advantage because Barcelona finally ended the ‘curse of Anoeta’ when they beat La Real away from home in the Copa del Rey, which is the first time they had done that in ten years. The fixture has averaged three goals per game in the last five matches, and 2.6 per game in the last ten matches, so expect plenty of goals.
Playing Style
In the reverse fixture, Sociedad controlled the game due to the stranglehold they had over the midfield. They actually deserved to win based on the balance of play, but Barça managed to scrape through and get a draw thanks to a Lionel Messi goal.
Based on the history, this match should be a lot easier as Sociedad have struggled to translate their success away from home against Barcelona. They have some talented players who could hurt the Catalans if they aren’t, though. Xabi Prieto and Willian José have both had excellent seasons which has helped La Real challenge for the top six.
It’s likely that Luis Enrique will adopt the traditional 4-3-3 formation as the 3-4-3 diamond has come undone over the last few games. They are also without Mascherano, so playing three at the back would bring Jérémy Mathieu who has been below par. Therefore, the less risky decision would be to play four at the back, and hope Sergi Roberto doesn’t make too many mistakes.
The performance of Busquets will be key because the Juventus match showed how integral he is to the team. They need his composure in dangerous situations, his ability to see out danger before it develops, and his ability to bring the ball out of defence. If he is in top form then Barcelona should be able to win this match relatively comfortably.
It will be interesting to see how Eusebio Sacristán does against the team he has been linked with. Other candidates, such as Jorge Sampaoli and Juan Carlos Unzué, have had their chances lowered by recent results. La Real’s manager did state that he wasn’t interested in the job relatively promptly, but it hasn’t stopped speculation linking him to the end of year vacancy.
Prediction: FC Barcelona 3-0 Real Sociedad
Predicted Lineup
André Gomes could start instead of Andrés Iniesta depending on if Luis Enrique wants to rest the little magician for the midweek game.