Real Sociedad vs Barcelona
Barcelona stake their unbeaten run here in La Liga when they take on Real Sociedad this Sunday.
The Catalan giants are hitting their stride after a lacklustre start to their campaign as they are enjoying a four-game winning streak.
Ronald Koeman’s men have moved up to the second spot at the table with 59 points and they can add more pressure to league leaders Atletico Madrid — who have 63 points — if they’ll win in this fixture.
But they’ll face a tricky test in Real Sociedad who are unbeaten in four of their last five matches. La Real can definitely put a dent on Barcelona’s title hopes despite being few places below them.
Imanol Alguacil’s men see this too as a must-win match since they are chasing for an European qualification this term.
Real Sociedad are trying to stay afloat at the fifth spot with 45 points, but you can expect Real Betis and Villarreal to snatch their spot if they’ll have a slip-up.
Here at SBOTOP, we take a look at this highly-anticipated clash between these two strong clubs.
Talking Points
Real Sociedad hanging tight at fifth
Imanol Alguacil know that they are in a precarious position despite their decent form as of late.
La Real are level with the sixth-seeded Real Betis, who are also experiencing a similar run over these last few league fixtures.
After being humiliated by Manchester United to show themselves out of the Europa League, Real Sociedad bounced back nicely by picking up several encouraging La Liga 2021 results.
For this month, Real Sociedad held Real Madrid to a draw and they eked out a win over Levante.
However, last week, they lost to Granada as they couldn’t muster enough viable chances.
The troubling trend for this club is their lacklustre attack. In stark contrast to their hot streak earlier this season, goals have become hard to come by for Imanol Alguacil’s wards.
Real Sociedad’s Alexander Isak fights for the ball against Real Madrid’s Raphael Varane
But they do have quality pieces that can light it up on any given day. Alexander Isak, Mikel Oyarzabal, and Portu form a lethal trio that can outpace or outmuscle any defender, and they also have creative playmakers in Mikel Merino and David Silva.
Furthermore, La Real will have to avoid surrendering the first goal to stay in the game especially against the Blaugrana since they have failed to secure a win in eight previous instances (D4, L4).
Barcelona are peaking at the right time
Barcelona will look to make it eight wins in a row in all competitions when they pay a visit to Sociedad this weekend.
After experiencing turmoil on and off the pitch, the Catalan giants have finally turned their season around as they have yet to lose in 2021.
Lionel Messi may receive the plaudits because of his class and leadership, but he’s been getting help from several teammates.
Jordi Alba and Antoine Griezmann sprinkled goals to give Barca another dimension to their offence, while their youngsters in Pedri, Francisco Trincao, and Ilaix Moriba offered flashes of their high potential.
In the management side of things, Joan Laporta returned to his old post as the club’s president, and that certainly gave Lionel Messi a newfound motivation.
Ronald Koeman’s first managerial season with the Catalan giants may have been a huge rollercoaster, but he should be given his due because of his ability to adapt.
History
Recent form and history suggest that the Catalan giants will cruise past La Real yet again.
Barcelona have dominated this head-to-head matchup as they are unbeaten in their last five league meetings (W4, D1).
With Ronald Koeman at the coaching helm, Barcelona have beaten Imanol Alguacil’s side twice this term.
They came away with a 2-1 triumph in their reverse league fixture, while they bested Real Sociedad in the penalty shootout during their last January tiff to eliminate them in the Supercopa semis.
Betting Tip
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Real Sociedad vs Barcelona | Barcelona Asian Handicap -0.25 @ 1.78 |
| March 22, 04:00 (GMT+8) |
Given their recent surge, Barcelona are the big favourites coming into this game according to the latest La Liga 2021 odds.
The Blaugrana are priced at 2.01,while Real Sociedad are placed at 3.60 and chances for a draw are at 3.40 in the 1×2 market.
Ronald Koeman’s side have been in incredible form as of late and they should have enough quality and depth to pull out another victory.
Real Sociedad may score a goal or two given their own set of topnotch footballers, but it is highly unlikely that they can nullify Barcelona’s overwhelming firepower.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR ( ) BETS ARE WORTH: |
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|---|---|---|---|
| = €20 (Highly confident) |
 = €10 (CONFIDENT) |
= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT) |
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Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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The post La Liga: Here Come the Blaugrana appeared first on SBOTOP.
