Still not able to count on the most expensive reinforcement of its history, Barcelona faces Real Sociedad this Sunday, January 14, in a match that is part of the schedule of the nineteenth round of the Spanish 2017/2018 Championship, the last of the first round. The meeting will be held at the Anoeta stadium in San Sebastian. The start is scheduled for 5:45 pm (Brasília time).

The recent performance of Real Sociedad

The five defeats in the last seven games caused turmoil in Real Sociedad. The team was not only eliminated from the King’s Cup but also dropped in the Spanish Championship standings. He completed the eighteenth round in the twelfth position. Very little for a club that managed to finish the previous season in the zone of classification for European tournaments.
He has 23 points (six wins, five draws and seven losses). They were five points less than Villarreal, who ranked sixth and closed LaLiga’s elite squad before the ball rolled into the final round of the first round.
To face Barcelona, ​​coach Eusebio Sacristan can count on a longer period of preparation. While the rival had to play in the King’s Cup, he had a free training week.
The period also allowed the medical department to work more intensely in an attempt to recover defender Alberto de La Bella (four matches in the 2017/2018 Spanish League without a goal), midfielder Adnan Januzaj (12 matches, two goals) and the striker Imanol Agirretxe (three games, no goal). They must undergo further tests that will determine if they are able to perform on Sunday.

The current form of Barcelona

Philippe Coutinho, who has been hired by Liverpool for 140 million euros, the biggest value Barcelona has ever spent in acquiring a reinforcement, will not be in the field. Injured, he should make his team debut in Catalunya only in late January or so began in February.
On Thursday, January 11, there was no shortage. In the return leg of the Round of 16 of the King’s Cup, Barcelona, ​​at Camp Nou, thrashed Celta 5-0 to secure their survival in the competition as they battle for the title. With four goals scored in 30 minutes, the team still managed to avoid further injury.
Barça have not been defeated for almost five months. The most recent failure occurred on August 16, in the second match of the Spanish Super Cup, when, in Madrid, took 2 to 0 of Real Madrid. Since then, he has played 28 games. He won 22 and drew six.
In the Spanish Championship, your situation is absolutely calm. The Catalan team accumulated 48 (15 wins and three draws) out of 54 possible and opened nine points ahead of Atletico Madrid. In comparison with the Real, which is considered their biggest rival, the front at the end of the eighteenth round has reached 16 points.
This may even allow coach Ernesto Valverde to promote some changes in the team seeking tactical solutions for when Philippe Coutinho is available to perform. There are still doubts regarding the use of the Colombian Yerry Mina, contracted with Palmeiras. The athlete is already part of the list of members of the club and has conditions of play. However, the trend is that it is not yet used on Sunday.
Other casualties must be defender Samuel Umtiti (12 games in the Spanish 2017/2018 Championship, no goal); the socks Gerard Deulofeu (nine games, one goal) and Arda Turan (without performances); and striker Paco Alcacer (eight games, two goals). They are in treatment for recovery from injury.

History of the matches
Barcelona faced Real Sociedad four times last season. He won three games (two for the King’s Cup) and drew once.

Leader in all the positive statistics of the Spanish Championship, Barcelona follows as best option for guess even acting away from their domains. It has a price of 1.45 in Rivalo. Draw shows return of 4.70. Victory of the owners of the house allows the multiplication by 6.50 of the amount invested.