Barcelona looks to fight for a perfect 2021-22 campaign in the La Liga with an opening day clash with Real Sociedad. The match schedules for Sunday at Camp Nou with kickoff at 9 pm.
Ronald Koeman finished off third last season with seven points off league winners Atletico Madrid. On the other hand, Real Sociedad managed the fifth finish to book a spot in the Europa.
Catalan fans will start a new season without the hopes of magician Lionel Messi at Camp Nou. After the magician said his goodbyes before signing for Paris Saint Germaine, it is a hard pill to swallow.
Last season showed the skeletons in the closet for Ronald Koeman. It proved mixed results of performances that ruled out a La Liga title defense on the final day. Furthermore, Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid are serious contenders for this campaign.
In addition, the Catalans find themselves in deep financial problems ahead of the season. However, the arrival of Memphis Depay, Eric Garcia, and Sergio Aguero. It remains a major task in this campaign.
On the other hand, Real Sociedad had five pre-season friendlies to start off while wins over Alaves, Monaco, and Eibar. In addition, the side suffered defeats to AZ and Osasuna.
Moreover, it has been a quiet transfer window with only Diego Rico and Mathew Ryan arriving to boost the camp. The away record for the camp in the top flight last time was impressive.
Barcelona vs. Real Sociedad Head to Head
Both games are 28 games against each other, with Barcelona taking 19 wins while Real Sociedad is taking 5 wins. Here is a look at their previous enounters:
Home
- Barcelona 3-0 Juventus
- RB Salzburg 2-1 Barcelona
- VfB Stuttgart 0-3 Barcelona
- Barcelona 3-1 Girona
- Barcelona 4-0 Gimnastic
Away
- Real Sociedad 1-3 Osasuna
- Real Sociedad 3-1 Eibar
- AZ Kalmaar 1-0 Real Sociedad
- Real Sociedad 2-1 Monaco
- Real Sociedad 3-1 Deportivo Alaves
Barcelona Team News
This weekend, a major chunk of the first-team players remain unavialable with Sergio Aguero, Ousmane Dembele, Oscar Mingueza, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, and Ansu Fati. Other injury contenders include Frankie De Jong and Clement Lenglet.
Real Sociedad Team News
Unavailable figures at the camp include Nacho Monreal, Ryan, and Carlos Fernandez. However, other familiar faces to travel to Camp Nou include Mikel Oyarzabala, Martin Zubimendi, and Mikel Merino.
Prediction and Odds
There is a sort of disarray at the camp; thus a disappointment won’t be much of a surprise.
- Draw
- Goals Under 2.5
- Both Teams to Score
