La Liga, Real Sociedad Vs. Barcelona: Preview, Prediction, Starting Line-Ups, And Betting Tips


Looking to alter their miserable record against Real Sociedad, Barcelona travels to Anoeta Stadium on Sunday to play their 13th La Liga match of the season.

The Catalan club is already seven points behind league leaders Real Madrid after Real’s win on Saturday, and they cannot afford to drop any more points. Especially with El Clasico just around the corner, Barcelona will be vying to close the gap with Real Madrid in this match.

Luis Enrique’s men have hugely struggled against Real Sociedad away from home in recent years. They need to show some real quality to outshine their counterparts in this clash. Barca has failed to win at the Anoeta since Frank Rijkaard was in charge of Nou Camp outfit.

Real Sociedad is showing tremendous promise this season. Prior to this match, they won four consecutive league matches, and they seem up and ready to destroy the Catalans’ party. They are currently on the fifth place on the table with 22 points, just four behind Barcelona.

Team News: Real Sociedad

Real Sociedad is in a great form right now. Having won four league matches in a row, they will be looking to continue their winning streak by defeating the defending champions at their turf.

Unfortunately, Jon Gaztanaga will miss the match due to a hamstring injury.

The likes of Ruben Pardo and Markel Bergara will also be unavailable for the selection due to their ankle and thigh injuries, respectively.

Real Sociedad: Predicted Line-up (4-3-3)

Rulli – Carlos Martinez, Navas, Yuri, Inigo Martinez – Zurutuza, Illarramendi, Prieto – Oyarzabal, Jose, Vela

Team News: Barcelona

[Image by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images]

Lionel Messi scored his 92nd Champions League goal against Celtic on last Tuesday, and he is on red hot form right now. Having missed the La Liga match against Malaga last weekend, he seems pretty ready to face Sociedad. Luis Enrique will be thoroughly relieved to have his best player back on the side.

Andres Iniesta‘s knee injury has kept out of the team in recent matches. His return to the team might take one more week, according to Vanguard.

Samuel Umtiti, who is also eyeing his return against Real Madrid, is likely to miss this match.

Luis Suarez is back on the side after serving one match ban, which is a huge boost for the Cules. Barcelona’s attack will regain its precision after his inclusion in the team.

Barcelona: Predicted Line-up (4-3-3)

ter Stegen – Sergi Roberto, Pique, Mascherano, Jordi Alba – Rakitic, Busquets, Denis Suarez – Suarez, Messi, Neymar

Real Sociedad vs. Barcelona: Head-to-Head

Total games: 42
Real Sociedad wins: 8
Barcelona wins: 25
Draws: 9

Real Sociedad vs. Barcelona: TV Schedule and Channel

In the U.S., the match will be live on beIN SPORTS CONNECT U.S.A., fuboTV, beIN SPORTS en Espanyol, and beIN SPORTS USA. In the U.K., the match will be broadcast on Sky Sports 1/HD UK, Sky Go UK, SKY GO Extra, and NOW TV UK. For other regions, TV schedule can be found in the link here.

Real Sociedad vs. Barcelona: Prediction

Real Sociedad is in a stunning form right now, having won their four recent league matches. Recent history certainly boosted up the Royals’ confidence as they haven’t lost to Barcelona at their home in almost six years. They surely will look to continue this amazing record by beating the Catalan giants at their home ground this time too.

Barcelona regained their winning momentum when they beat Celtic 2-0 away from home in Champions League. Despite recent history not in their favor, the likes of Messi, Neymar, and Suarez can alter that record without a doubt. This is one of the crucial matches for Barcelona as rivals Real Madrid are constantly increasing gap with them.

The match will be highly competitive as both teams are vying for a win. Looking at both teams’ strengths, the tie might just end up as a draw.

Final Predicted Score. Real Sociedad 1-1 Barcelona

Real Sociedad vs. Barcelona: Betting Tips and Odds

  1. Real Sociedad Win: 11/2
  2. A draw: 16/5
  3. Barcelona Win: 1/2
  4. Under 2.5 goals: 6/4
  5. Over 2.5 goals: 1/2
  6. Both teams score: 4/7
  7. Both teams fail to score: 5/4

The odds were provided by Paddypower.

Key Stats to consider

  • Real Sociedad has won their recent four league matches.
  • The Royals hasn’t lost to Barcelona at their home since 2011.
  • Barcelona has won eight of their nine recent away matches in La Liga.
  • Barcelona has scored at least two goals in eight of their nine away La Liga matches. The Real Sociedad vs. Barcelona stats were provided by Soccerway.

Real Sociedad vs. Barcelona: Live Stream

The match can be streamed live online by clicking at this link. The link will be updated just before kick-off.

[Featured Image by David Ramos/Getty Images]

Share this article: La Liga, Real Sociedad Vs. Barcelona: Preview, Prediction, Starting Line-Ups, And Betting Tips
More from Inquisitr