Real Sociedad return to La Liga action on Sunday, 19th January, with Pellegrino Matarazzo leading the team after an unbeaten start as head coach, Softfootball reported. The Basque outfit currently sit 11th in the table with 21 points from 19 matches, seeking consistency after a mixed start to the 2025-26 campaign.
Barcelona, on the other hand, are flying under Hansi Flick, having won 11 consecutive matches in all competitions. Their momentum includes a 2-0 Copa del Rey victory over Racing Santander, sealed by a late Yamal goal, and a thrilling 3-2 triumph over Real Madrid in the 263rd El Clasico to win the Spanish Super Cup final.
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Team news
Real Sociedad will be without Inaki Ruperez due to injury, while Yangel Herrera and Orri Oskarsson are also sidelined. Brais Mendez and Mikel Oyarzabal are expected to feature in attack, with the same XI likely to take the field as in their last league match.
Barcelona are missing Gavi and Andreas Christensen through injury but otherwise have a full-strength squad. Fermin Lopez, Frenkie de Jong, Pedri, Eric Garcia, Raphinha, Joao Cancelo, and Ronald Araujo are set to return to the starting XI. Barcelona posted a video on their X handle showing training ahead of the match.
Possible lineups
Real Sociedad possible starting lineup:
Remiro; Aramburu, Caleta-Car, Martin, Gomez; Soler, Turrientes; Kubo, Mendez, Guedes; Oyarzabal
Barcelona possible starting lineup:
E Garcia; Kounde, Cubarsi, E Garcia, Balde; Pedri, De Jong; Yamal, Fermin, Raphinha; F Torres
Prediction
Big sports platforms like ESPN, Sky Sports, and BBC Sport are backing Barcelona to continue their stellar run, with most predictions pointing to a 2-1 away win at Real Sociedad. While the hosts are capable of making it challenging, Flick’s men are expected to take all three points this weekend.
Where to watch
The match will be shown live across multiple broadcasters, including LaLigaTV and DAZN in the UK, ESPN in the USA, and beIN Sports in the Middle East. Fans can also stream via LaLiga+ in Spain.
