Barcelona – Real Sociedad

Barcelona will not destroy Real Sociedad

On Sunday, September 28, Barcelona will play against Real Sociedad. The Catalans have secured five victories in six matches – only Madrid is higher in the table. Sociedad managed to win their first match only in the sixth round – the club is still formally fighting for survival. Surprisingly, Barcelona did not even notice the loss of Lamine Yamal. In the recent matches, the club has been winning without the Spaniard. Moreover, in the game against Getafe, Hans-Dieter Flick excluded Marcus Rashford from the match for being late. Barcelona scored three goals against Oviedo and Getafe, and previously won against Newcastle in England, scoring six goals against strong Valencia. The Catalans are scoring even more this season than last year. The club has not lost a single match yet. The only slip occurred away – against Rayo Vallecano. Before the game against Real Sociedad, there are significant issues with options on the flanks for attack. Rafinha has a minor injury – he will likely be rested. Lamine Yamal is not expected to start – the leader has not fully recovered. Rashford and young talent Runy Bardji may be brought in. However, Robert Lewandowski has returned. The Pole scored the winning goal against Oviedo. He is likely to start this time. Real Sociedad is struggling for the second consecutive season. Last year, one could link it to European competitions – there is no such problem with the calendar now. There is increasing pressure on head coach Imanol Alguacil. Rumours about his dismissal have long been circulating in the press. It is possible that the management might consider changing the coach after the match against Mallorca, but they managed to squeeze out a win – 1:0. Before that, Sociedad had only earned three points in five matches. The game against Mallorca was not of high quality – in the end, they were lucky that the referee did not award a penalty against the Basques after reviewing VAR. At the same time, Sociedad's attacking lineup looks strong – the leaders have recovered from injuries. If they regain form, the Basques could aim for at least a top-five finish. Currently, Mikel Oyarzabal is playing as a central striker, with Takefusa Kubo on the right and Ander Barrenetxea assisting on the left wing. This means creating scoring chances even at Camp Nou is unlikely to be a problem. There are prerequisites for attacking football. Real Sociedad is coming alive, while Barcelona has significant problems with their lineup. The demanding schedule should also impact – the team needs to prepare for a Champions League match against PSG – they will conserve energy. In such a situation, it is logical not to expect a total rout. Bookmakers are offering solid handicaps on the guests.