Hansi Flick’s Barcelona welcomes a Real Sociedad side in crisis on Sunday, and the omens could hardly be more different. While the Catalans are sitting pretty in second place with 16 points, hot on the heels of Real Madrid, Real Sociedad are struggling in 16th place with just five points, facing their worst start to a season since 2006, when the club was ultimately relegated.
Barcelona are clearly on the up, even though goalkeeper García made a costly mistake in the 3-1 win against Oviedo. Real Sociedad, on the other hand, are in a deep crisis: only one win in six games, defensive problems and a glaring lack of finishing, with just five goals from almost 75 chances.
The head-to-head record promises excitement, although Barcelona have won three of the last five encounters. It is noteworthy that there has never been a draw in these matches and that the Catalans have regularly scored after the break. The last encounter in March ended in a clear 4-0 win for Barcelona.
Both teams are plagued by injury worries, with Barcelona seemingly harder hit with García, Raphinha, and other key players out. Nevertheless, the bookmakers see the home side as clear favorites with odds of around 1.30, which underlines the precarious situation of the visitors.
- Venue: Camp Nou, Barcelona
- Date and time: 09/28/2025, 6:30 p.m.
- Competition: Primera División (Matchday 7)
Barcelona form & record check
FC Barcelona are currently in impressive form and occupy second place in the table with 16 points after six matchdays. They are just two points behind Real Madrid, while their lead over Villarreal is three points.
The recent record of four wins and one draw in the last five games underlines the strong form under Hansi Flick. Particularly noteworthy was the 6-0 home win against Valencia, in which the offense showed its class. The 3-1 away win at Real Oviedo also demonstrated mental strength, as the Catalans came back after falling behind early.
The team is showing exceptional consistency in front of goal. The Blaugrana have scored at least once in each of their last five games, while winning 80% of their games in the second half. This statistic points to remarkable fitness and tactical discipline.
However, the team is currently plagued by personnel problems. Raphinha, ter Stegen, Joan García, Gavi, and Balde are all key players who are currently unavailable. Raphinha’s absence for around three weeks is particularly significant, as he had started in all seven games this season. Joan García’s injury could force Flick to change goalkeepers, with Szczesny ready to step in.
The Catalans’ likely lineup for the upcoming game is expected to be presented by coach Hansi Flick in the usual 4-2-3-1 formation. Wojciech Szczesny could be a new face between the posts after both ter Stegen and recently signed Joan García are out with injuries.
In defense, a mix of experience and flexibility is expected. Koundé and Araujo could form the center-back pairing, while Eric García may have to help out on the left again as Balde continues to struggle with muscle problems. The midfield is likely to be controlled by Casadó and Pedri, both of whom have proven to be reliable stalwarts in recent weeks.
In attack, Flick will probably rely on Lewandowski as the striker, supported by a creative trio. If Yamal is fit in time as announced, that would be a huge boost for the offense. Otherwise, Rashford, who has been in impressive form recently, could once again play an important role. It will be interesting to see whether Dani Olmo will start again after his strong performances.
Real Sociedad form & record check
Real Sociedad is going through its most difficult phase in years. With only five points from six games, the team is in 16th place in the table, marking its worst start to a season since 2006, when the club was ultimately relegated. The Basques are level on points with Celta Vigo, who are directly above them in the table, while Levante are only one point behind in 17th place.
Recent results paint a mixed picture. After a narrow 1-0 home win against Mallorca two days ago, the team seemed to have stabilized somewhat. Oyarzabal scored after the break to give his team their first three points of the season in San Sebastián. Prior to that, they had suffered three defeats in a row, including a 3-1 loss to Real Betis and a narrow 2-1 home defeat to Real Madrid.
The defense is increasingly causing Sergio Francisco headaches. In four of the last five games, his team has conceded goals in the first half, which has become a problematic pattern. At the same time, despite creative approaches, the offense remains surprisingly harmless. The team has created almost 75 chances in five games, but has only converted five of them into goals.
Personnel concerns are further exacerbating the situation. Aritz Elustondo may be out with a rib injury, while Jon Martín is away with the U20 team. This is forcing Francisco to improvise, especially in an already thin defense. One might think that last season’s problems are continuing seamlessly, despite the change of coach from Imanol to Francisco.
Real Sociedad are likely to line up in their usual 4-3-3 formation, even though Sergio Francisco will have to improvise in defense. The injury to Aritz Elustondo, who has suffered a possible rib fracture, is forcing the coach to make personnel changes in an already depleted defense.
Remiro is likely to start in goal, while Aramburu, Zubeldia, Caleta-Car, and Sergio Gómez could make up the back four. Gorrotxategi, Soler, and Brais Méndez are likely to occupy the midfield. In attack, the two “untouchables” Oyarzabal and Barrenetxea will probably flank Kubo as the central attacking player.
Defensive problems could force Francisco to resort to less proven alternatives. With Jon Martín on the U20 national team and other absences, there are only limited options available. This constellation makes a prediction more difficult, as the coach may have to make tactical changes at short notice.
H2H Barcelona – Real Sociedad Head-to-head comparison & statistics
The head-to-head record in recent years is evenly balanced: Barcelona have won three of the last five encounters, while Real Sociedad have triumphed twice. None of these games ended in a draw, which speaks for a clear balance of power.
The most recent encounter in March 2025 was a clear 4-0 win for Barcelona at Camp Nou. Prior to that, Real Sociedad had won 1-0 at home in November 2024, ending a series of three defeats against the Catalans.
A clear pattern is emerging: Barcelona regularly scores against the Basques in the second half. In the last three encounters, the team has scored at least one goal after the break. Real Sociedad, on the other hand, has always conceded at least one goal after the break during this period.
The first half is usually quiet between the two teams. Four of the last five duels remained at a maximum of one goal at halftime. Overall, the matches are rarely high-scoring, with only one game seeing more than three goals scored.
Lewandowski has scored three times in his last two appearances, while Ferran Torres and Rashford provide additional firepower. Real Sociedad face a weakened defense with only one win in six games and the possible absence of Elustondo.
The recommendation for “Both teams to score: Yes” seems interesting, as Barcelona will have to rely on Szczesny without García and ter Stegen and have only kept two clean sheets this season. Real Sociedad have scored in 80% of their games, and Oyarzabal recently broke his goal drought. Bookmakers are pricing this market at around 1.80, which could offer good value given the goalkeeping problems on both sides.
The double chance X2 at odds of around 3.60 seems more speculative. Three days before the PSG clash, Flick could rotate his squad, and Barcelona showed against Rayo in their 1-1 draw that their concentration can slip. With Kubo back in the squad and more stable recent performances, Real Sociedad could at least grab a point if Barcelona’s experimental line-up doesn’t work.
