Barcelona will face Real Sociedad away from home in their next La Liga fixture on Sunday night.
Barcelona accumulated the most points away from home in La Liga and will look to continue their good run of form and extend their lead at the top.
Real Sociedad vs Barcelona – Match preview and team news
- Date: Sunday, 18th January
- Kick-off: 8pm BST.
- Venue: Estadio Municipal Dr Anoeta.
Real Sociedad team news
Yangel Herrera and Orri Oskarsson remain sidelined through injury, weakening Matarazzo’s options in key areas. Mikel Oyarzabal will lead the line, having scored the most goals for Real Sociedad in La Liga so far this season. The forward has been instrumental in Real Sociedad’s upturn in form, recording five goals and three assists despite the club’s challenging season.
Gonçalo Guedes, Takefusa Kubo and Brais Méndez provide creative support from wide and attacking midfield areas, whilst veteran Carlos Soler anchors the midfield with his experience. Goalkeeper Álex Remiro will need to be at his absolute best against Barcelona’s prolific attacking unit.
Barcelona team news
Following their midweek Copa del Rey victory over Racing Santander, Frenkie de Jong is now available after serving a one-match suspension. The Catalan giants are in imperious form and will look to maintain their dominance with a squad that has reached elite levels of consistency across the season.
Robert Lewandowski has been in exceptional form for the La Liga leaders, scoring nine goals in the league and recording the winning goal in Barcelona’s 2-1 victory over Real Sociedad back in September. Lamine Yamal has recorded seven assists this season alongside his seven goals.
However, Hansi Flick faces concerns over potential absences. Andreas Christensen suffered a partial anterior cruciate ligament tear during training earlier this month and will miss an extended period, whilst Spanish midfielder Gavi is out following knee surgery on a medial meniscus injury.
Raphinha is a doubt for Sunday’s match after failing to participate in Saturday’s training session due to a minor knock, though Marcus Rashford is on standby should the Brazilian winger be unavailable.
Form
Real Sociedad
The Basque club earned a crucial Copa del Rey penalty shootout victory over Osasuna midweek.
In La Liga, they sit 13th with 21 points from 19 matches, just four points above the relegation zone, but their recent trajectory suggests improvement.
Matarazzo’s side defeated Getafe in their most recent league outing and have now recorded an unbeaten run across five matches.
Barcelona
Hansi Flick’s side have been virtually unstoppable since early January, extending their winning streak across all competitions to 11 consecutive matches.
In La Liga specifically, Barcelona have won their last nine games without defeat, consolidating their position at the top of the table with a four-point lead over Real Madrid.
They are currently sitting on top of the table with a one point lead and an extra game in hand.
Predicted lineups
Real Sociedad: Remiro; Aramburu, Caleta-Car, Martin, Gomez; Soler, Turrientes; Kubo, Mendez, Guedes; Oyarzabal
Barcelona: E Garcia; Kounde, Cubarsi, E Garcia, Balde; Pedri, De Jong; Yamal, Fermin, Rashford; Lewandowski
How to watch Real Sociedad vs Barcelona?
UK fans can watch the match live on Premier Sports 2.
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