FC Barcelona faces a challenging trip to Anoeta Stadium on Sunday as they take on an in-form Real Sociedad in La Liga. The Catalan side comes off back-to-back victories, having lifted the Spanish Super Cup last weekend and then secured a 2-0 win at Racing Santander in the Copa del Rey fourth round on Thursday.
The tight schedule leaves limited recovery time, with winger Raphinha a doubt after missing Saturday’s training session. Barcelona will also be without goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen, reportedly close to a loan move to Girona, and young attacking midfielder Pedro “Dro” Fernandez, who could depart in the January transfer window amid interest from English and German clubs willing to meet his €6 million release clause.
Manager Hansi Flick is expected to rotate his squad carefully. Key players such as Robert Lewandowski, Pedri, Fermin Lopez, and Frenkie de Jong should be fresh after featuring only as second-half substitutes against Santander. Joao Cancelo, meanwhile, is still awaiting his debut after watching the cup win from the bench.
Real Sociedad, under coach Pellegrino Matarazzo, comes into the clash after progressing to the Copa del Rey quarterfinals with a penalty shootout win over Osasuna. Sociedad has improved results since Matarazzo replaced Sergio Fernandez, including a home draw against Atletico Madrid and a win at Getafe. Benat Turrientes has impressed in central midfield, with Goncalo Guedes expected to start and Igor Zubeldia competing with Jon Martin in central defense.
While Barcelona historically has a strong record in San Sebastian, Sociedad’s win in last season’s corresponding fixture signals that another victory could intensify the La Liga title race.