Three talking points ahead of Barcelona vs Real Sociedad | La Liga MD7

Matchday 7 of La Liga pits Barcelona against Real Sociedad in a fascinating clash that the Blaugrana will be keen to win after the result in the Madrid derby last night.

The Catalans have rediscovered their form and have been red-hot in recent games, and their win over Real Oviedo boasted a comeback under tricky circumstances.

With Paris-Saint Germain up next, Barcelona must keep their momentum going, and they face a shaky Real Sociedad in their bid to do the same.

The Basque side have not been on song so far this season, with two draws, three defeats, and just one win so far in La Liga. Needless to say, Barcelona will fancy their chances, especially given that it is a home fixture.

Barça Universal brings you three talking points ahead of Barcelona vs Real Sociedad.

Enter Wojciech Szczesny

When Marc-Andre Ter Stegen was injured last season, Barcelona brought in Wojciech Szczesny as a stopgap solution, and nobody saw him becoming as integral a part of Barcelona’s project as he has.

The Polish veteran’s experience and decision to come out of retirement not only helped the club but saw him enjoy one of his career best seasons, which even resulted in him extending his contract with the club.

This season, Szczesny’s role was more limited to being a backup goalkeeper to Joan Garcia and grooming the player into a profile suited for the club. The youngster’s injury, however, opens the door for him once more.

Garcia’s knee injury will keep him out for a few weeks, and it will be Szczesny who steps in once again as Barcelona’s saviour in goal. Tonight will be his first big night, and he will look to make it count.

The player showed exceptional quality on the ball and in terms of shot-stopping last season, but given that he hasn’t played for a while, it remains to be seen how much of that level he can bring to the table.

A storm of injuries

Out injured. (Photo by Fran Santiago/Getty Images)

The past few days have been very turbulent for Barcelona in terms of injuries, for the Catalans have lost player after player to fitness issues. The game later today, thus, will see Flick struggle to make adjustments.

Apart from Garcia’s injury in goal, which is a big blow in itself, Barcelona will also be without names like Raphinha, Fermin Lopez, and Gavi, all of whom are confirmed to be out for varying durations.

Now, even Marc Casado is reportedly a doubt, leaving the manager in a tight spot with his selection. Replacing the players, especially given that many of them are first-choice starters, will not be easy for Flick, and it will be interesting to see how he manages the situation.

For starters, Roony Bardghji can expect a start against Real Sociedad in place of the injured Raphinha and will thus have a massive chance to prove his worth. He will likely start alongside Marcus Rashford and Ferran Torres in attack.

Dani Olmo will continue to man the attacking midfield in place of the injured Fermin Lopez, while Pedri and Frenkie de Jong will likely play in midfield as the Casado option is ruled out.

In defence, Flick is likely to select Ronald Araujo and Andreas Christensen in the central position, to preserve Pau Cubarsi for PSG, while Gerard Martin and Jules Kounde will start on the lateral sides.

Big chance to capitalise

Real Madrid’s season up until the ongoing matchday was perfect, and they were the team to beat in La Liga. Having won all their games, they were on a great run of form, and Barcelona were forced to catch up after dropping points against Rayo Vallecano.

All of that changed last night at the Riyadh Air Metropolitano when Atletico Madrid took on Real Madrid in a fascinating derby which ended in an emphatic win for Diego Simeone’s side.

Now that Los Blancos have suffered their first defeat in La Liga and have dropped three points, they are only two points ahead of Barcelona. A win for the Catalans today, thus will make them the league leaders.

As such, it becomes a must-win game for Barcelona, who have been waiting for such an opportunity to pounce on. 

Taking the lead over Los Blancos and putting the pressure on them is the dream scenario for Hansi Flick, and it is thus crucial that he can make the most of his tight squad and take all three points against a tricky opposition.