Real Sociedad vs. Barcelona: Preview and betting tips

Thursday’s football programme will be enlivened by Real Sociedad’s match against Barcelona in La Liga. The hosts are playing for the Champions League, the visitors for a theoretical chance of the title. What to expect from the match and what to bet on?

Sociedad are playing very well, having taken ten points in the last five rounds and are in contention for the Champions League. From sixth place, they are currently five points behind fourth-placed Atletico Madrid with six rounds to go.

Barcelona’s season collapsed last week, first dropping out of the Europa League, then losing to Cadiz in the league and their title hopes were dashed. They are fifteen points behind first placed Real Madrid with a game to spare.

The home side rely on Mikel Oyarzabal, the Spanish international has scored fifteen goals and assisted four times through all competitions. Midfielder Mikel Merino also features for the national team, also thanks to a 4+4 record.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has scored ten times and assisted once in sixteen games for Barcelona. Under Xavi, the form of Ousmane Dembélé, Frenkie de Jong and Gerrard Pique has also gone up.

Barcelona’s offense seems to have stopped working, they have scored more than one goal in only two of the last five games, and twice they have come up empty.

In addition, Sociedad’s defence has been excellent, with only one goal in the last five rounds, and it is this defence that keeps their Champions League hopes alive.

Despite Sociedad’s form, I think that Barcelona, thanks to their wide squad, will win in the end and get the important three points.