Barcelona – Real Sociedad

Barcelona are unlikely to be able to prevent the opposing side from scoring

The big match in Spain will take place on Wednesday 25 January. Barcelona will take on Real Sociedad at home in the King's Cup quarter-finals. A serious test for the Catalans. In fact, the two best teams in the country will meet in 2023. Xavi's side have already won their first trophy, the King's Super Cup. They are also well on their way to winning the Spanish league title. At the moment, the margin from Real Madrid is three points. The Catalans, despite fatigue, are picking up points. Xavi, after the difficult victory over Getafe, complained that the players need to rest. Not yet. Freshness is clearly lacking. It is true that in the match against Getafe the attacking system was disrupted by the absence of Robert Lewandowski. The Pole will be back on the pitch for the King's Cup tie. Robert is in great form, which he showed in the cup games. Plus the forward comes out rested. At the same time, the fatigue factor could be key if the match drags on. Barcelona have more matches in 2023 and they have been more difficult and also have one less day of rest compared to Real Sociedad. The Basques are making history this season. They have a winning streak of nine straight in official matches. Their last loss in La Liga was in October last year. Sociedad had a historic first round in the league. Alguacil's side sit in third place. Their margin of victory from fifth place is seven points. That's a very strong bid for the Champions League. Real Sociedad achieved this success on the back of a high number of injuries. The main losses are in the attacking line. The club cannot count on two strikers Sadiq and Ali Cho. Prior to that, Isak was sold to Newcastle. In other words, the team in fact didn't suffer, although it was predicted to drop in the results. In the last round, Real Sociedad confidently took three points in a difficult away game against Rayo Vallecano. Again, the tie between David Silva and Sorlotta worked. The Basques outclassed their opponents in all key components. Clearly, in this form, Sociedad are a real threat to Barcelona as well. The league game was marked by a Basque defeat, but that was back in August. Sociedad are out of form. Now it is unlikely to be a blowout. But result-oriented football is. Of the last six head-to-head games, only one of the opponents have failed to convert a goal. There is a significant trend towards the high-scoring match. Sociedad are unlikely to give up their trademark football through possession. Barcelona, on the other hand, have slowed down somewhat when it comes to defensive quality. The middles and underdogs now regularly have chances against the big side, especially in cup encounters.