Barcelona continue their busy January schedule with yet another tough road game as the Blaugrana travel to the Basque Country to face Real Sociedad at Anoeta in a big La Liga clash.
The Blaugrana will be looking for a 10th consecutive win in the league and a 12th straight victory in all competitions to maintain their healthy advantage at the top of the table, but it is never easy to play at Anoeta and La Real will once again provide a brutal test for the Catalans.
Here’s how we think Hansi Flick will
line up his troops for Sunday’s battle:
Defense
Flick struck a good balance between resting some key players and still having a strong lineup in their Copa del Rey win over Racing Santander, but the coach will go back to his best possible team for a monster game against a historically tough opponent.
The coach was able to rest Eric Garcia for most of the match on Thursday and will recall one of his most consistent performers this season to partner Pau Cubarsí at center-back, and we expect Jules Kounde and Alejandro Balde to retain their full-back spots as João Cancelo continues to wait to make his debut.
Midfield
Frenkie de Jong was suspended and didn’t play in midweek while Pedri played just under 30 minutes against Racing, so it’s safe to assume the first-choice double pivot partners will be back together after a fantastic performance from both in El Clásico in the Super Cup Final last weekend. Fermín López had yet another brilliant showing off the bench against Racing and is the clear choice for the number 10 role at the moment, and his playing style is a perfect fit for a game that promises to be full of transitions.
Attack
Lamine Yamal played the full 90 minutes against Racing but won’t be available for the upcoming Champions League trip to Slavia Prague, so the teenager will start this one looking to continue a strong run of form. Ferran Torres scored against Racing and will lead the line again, and Raphinha will return to the XI after getting close to 70 minutes off on Thursday.
Possible XI: Joan; Kounde, Cubarsí, Eric, Balde; De Jong, Pedri; Yamal, Fermín, Raphinha; Ferran (4-2-3-1)
How do you think Barcelona should line up against Real Sociedad? Let us know your thoughts, predictions and teams in the comments below!
