FC Barcelona vs Real Sociedad Prediction, Preview, Predicted Lineups and Team News | La Liga

FC Barcelona vs Real Sociedad Preview

• Tournament: La Liga
• Date: Sunday, March 2
• Kick-Off Time: 03:15 PM
• Venue: Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys

FC Barcelona vs Real Sociedad will take place at Estadi Olimpic Lluis Companys in the La Liga, on March 2. In the previous fixture Sociedad defeated the Catalan giants and now Flick's men will look to take revenge in this upcoming fixture.

The Catalan giants have been thrilling to watch this season and that continued in midweek as they played out a draw against Simeone's Atletico Madrid which ended in a 4-4 scoreline in the first leg of Copa del Rey. Now they will lock horns against a frustrating Sociedad side to Catalonia. Flick's men made their way to the top of the table once again this season but they will have to keep their momentum as Los Blancos also have the same number of points. In 25 matches, they have won 17, drawn three and lost five games till now and have 54 points on the board. Barcelona have won each of their last five matches in La Liga and are unbeaten in six and will look to increase their lead in the points table. In their last fixture, the Catalan side suffered a 1-0 loss to Sociedad and now they will look to beat the team from Basque region by a good margin.

Real Sociedad suffered a defeat to the Spanish giants Real Madrid in the first leg of the Copa del Rey and now they will take on the table toppers on Sunday. They were able to beat the Catalan side last time out, but now the time is different and surely the Catalan side are the favourites to win this fixture. In 25 games, they have won 10, drawn four and lost 11 games as they are sitting at the ninth spot with 34 points on the board. La Real have dropped points from winning positions and surely they will look to not repeat the same mistakes again against Barcelona. Imanol Aguacil and his staff are under pressure as their recent performance has not been up to the mark and they will have to perform consistently in the domestic league as well. This will be a mouthwatering clash for sure.

FC Barcelona Team News

Marc Andre Ter Stegen and Marc Bernal are still recovering from their long-term injuries, Andreas Christensen is doubtful for the match. Surely there will be some rotations for this fixture but the rest of the players are fit to play.

Real Sociedad Team News

For the Basque team, Sheraldo Becker and Takefusa Kubo will miss Sunday's match through suspension, Igor Zubeldia will be available after serving his La Liga ban against Leganes last time out. The rest of the players are fit and will be available for the match.

Predicted Lineups

FC Barcelona Predicted Lineup (4-2-3-1):

Goalkeeper: Wojciech Szczesny

Defenders: Jules Kounde, Ronald Araujo, Pau Cubarsi, Alejandro Balde

Midfielders: Frenkie De Jong, Pedri

Forwards: Lamine Yamal, Gavi Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski

Real Sociedad Predicted Lineup (4-1-4-1):

Goalkeeper: Alex Remiro

Defenders: Jon Aramburu, Igor Zubeldia, Nayef Aguerd, Aihen Munoz

Midfielders: Martin Zubemendi, Sergio Gomez, Brais Mendez, Luka Sucic, Ander Barrenetxena

Forwards: Mikel Oyarzabal

FC Barcelona vs Real Sociedad Head-to-Head Record

Both teams have clashed 63 times, out of which FC Barcelona have won 41 games, 12 matches ended in stalemate and Real Sociedad won 10 games. In their last five fixtures, Barcelona won three fixtures and Real Sociedad won two games.

Key Players to Watch in FC Barcelona vs Real Sociedad

Pedri (FC Barcelona)

Pedri has a Brazilian flair to his game, a German intensity, a Spanish passing ability and a Dutch in-game awareness. For the Barcelona fan, he is another Iniesta and he is having a brilliant season as he is a key player for Hansi Flick's system. Regardless of distance or which leg he's using, Pedri is able to pick out a player from anywhere on the field.

The Spanish midfielder has an impressive passing range and his ability to switch field makes him even more threatening. Even though he gets into good goal scoring position, he looks to provide assists more than scoring himself. He is the heart of the Barcelona midfield and despite having a short frame he is able to shrug off challenges very well. In 24 games in La Liga, he has scored four goals and provided three assists, in the last five games, he made 10 tackles, two interceptions and eight blocks.

Mikel Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad)

Oyarzabal's strongest assets and probably his most underrated quality is his exceptional off-the-ball movement. He provides dangerous runs to create opportunities for himself and also makes space for his teammates by drawing defenders from their natural positions. An underrated trait of Mikel Oyarzabal is possibly his creativity. He is one of Real Sociedad's main creative outlets and is able to create a lot of trouble for the opponent team.

Physically, he is not very imposing and dominating, but still he is able to do his job inside the box. In 23 games in La Liga, he has scored four goals and provided two assists, and in 10 UEFA Europa League games, he has scored three goals and provided one assist. Statistically his profile may look poor but his impact on the pitch is huge for La Real.

FC Barcelona vs Real Sociedad Prediction

The Catalan giants are clear favourites to win this fixture and as their attack has been the best in the league so far, and defensively also they haven't conceded many goals. On the other hand, Real Sociedad has been very inconsistent and has failed to get points in many fixtures. Even though the Basque team got the win in their last fixture against Barcelona, they will have to be at their best to get a point away from home.

Predicted Score: FC Barcelona 2-1 Real Sociedad

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