FC Barcelona return to La Liga action this weekend with a trip to the Reale Arena to face Real Sociedad, as they look to continue their winning run in the Spanish league. It has been an exceptional run of form for Hansi Flick’s men.
They are coming off an important 2-0 win over Racing Santander in the Copa del Rey Round of 16. They have also lifted their first silverware of the season in the form of the Spanish Super Cup, beating Real Madrid in Jeddah.
That said, their return to La Liga comes with a caveat, as facing Real Sociedad away is one of the most difficult trips in the Catalan club’s calendar. It has often been a bogey fixture that Barcelona have struggled to win.
With all this in mind, here are three talking points as Barcelona prepare to face Real Sociedad in La Liga.
1: Will Raphinha be available?
With the exception of Raphinha, Hansi Flick will almost be sure of the XI that will line up against Real Sociedad this weekend. The Brazilian missed training last evening due to a blow suffered against Racing Santander.
If the Brazilian is available, it is almost a no-brainer for him to start and give Barcelona the best possible chance to beat Real Sociedad. La Real have been in very decent form coming into this fixture and could make life difficult.
Barcelona with and without Raphinha are two different teams. The Brazilian adds so much in terms of intensity and pressing, and his replacement, Marcus Rashford, cannot come close to offering the same work rate.
Let us see how things play out on this front and whether the Brazilian is ready to start on the night for the Catalan club.
2: Return of Pedri x Frenkie
Frenkie de Jong missed the previous game through suspension, while Hansi Flick chose to rest Pedri from the starting XI. In their absence, Barcelona’s midfield took a massive hit and struggled in terms of build-up.
Thus, it comes as a relief that the duo should be ready to return against Real Sociedad. When Pedri and Frenkie are at the top of their game, Barcelona almost always do well, and that is the hope at the Reale Arena too.
Frenkie is coming off perhaps his best game in a Barcelona jersey. Pedri, meanwhile, does not seem to put a foot wrong, and his cameo against Racing Santander was a clear indication of how well he is playing.
If the duo is able to control the game against Real Sociedad, it increases Barcelona’s chances of winning. Let us see how things play out.
3: Starting on the front foot
Against a team like Real Sociedad, starting on the front foot is vital. La Real love to catch opponents by flying out of the blocks, and Barcelona need to be careful not to allow that to happen.
Pressing from the front, suffocating the time La Real have on the ball, pushing forward in numbers, holding a good high line, and ensuring passing sequences are on point and purposeful will be crucial from a Catalan perspective.
Hansi Flick’s teams have generally tended to start slowly this season before growing into games, but this is not the occasion for that. Let us hope the German manager can get his players to start the night all guns blazing.
