Barcelona vs. Real Sociedad: Team News, Preview, Live Stream & TV Info
Barcelona will have revenge on their minds when Real Sociedad arrive at Camp Nou.
Perhaps there will also be a debt of gratitude to David Moyes and his staff for it was the poor performance at the Anoeta Stadium at the turn of the year that became a watershed moment for the Catalans.
Since then the Blaugrana have barely looked back, and should they win this one, they will remain in pole position for the La Liga title with just two more games left to play.
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Of course, this could be the last game in the league they play for a while. The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) have suspended all footballing activity from May 16, per B/R's Gianni Verschueren.
Moyes hasn't perhaps had quite the impact he had hoped for during his first six months. Eight draws, seven wins and six losses per WhoScored.com is average but not unexpected given the squad that the Scot took over.
If rumours are to be believed, however, including this one from Andy Dunn of the Daily Mirror, then Moyes is heading back to the English Premier League and a job with West Ham United.
Therefore, he might well have a job in motivating his players for a final push and that will play right into Barca's hands.
Date: Saturday, May 9
Time: 5 p.m. BST/12 p.m. ET
Venue: Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain
TV Info: Sky Sports 5 (Highlights only)/beIN Sports 1 (USA only)
Live Stream: Sky Go (UK only)/beIN Sports Connect (USA only)
Form Lines
| Barcelona | Real Sociedad |
| W 3-0 vs. Bayern Munich | W 3-0 vs. Levante |
| W 8-0 vs. Cordoba | D 1-1 vs. Athletic Club |
| W 6-0 vs. Getafe | D 0-0 vs. Villarreal |
| W 2-0 vs. Espanyol | L 0-1 vs. Elche |
| W 2-0 vs. Paris Saint-Germain | D 2-2 vs. Deportivo La Coruna |
| W 2-0 vs. Valencia | L 0-2 vs. Atletico Madrid |
Predicted Formations
A total of 23 goals scored and none conceded in six games. Against the likes of Bayern Munich, Paris Saint-Germain and Valencia.
Yes, Barcelona are in just about the best possible form as we wind down into the final few games of the season.
Given his previous selections in the last couple of weeks, it's fairly safe to assume Luis Enrique will start with the same XI as that which began the game in Cordoba.
Although 3-0 against Bayern is virtually a match-winning position and he can afford to rotate, Enrique will want to keep the rhythm of the team going. Why change a winning team?
Moyes was ultra defensive for the most part in the corresponding fixture, but Barca were an entirely different proposition then.
The 4-2-3-1 formation served him well in the last outing vs. Levante and offers him both protection for his defence and support for his attack, which will be spearheaded by Alfred Finnbogason.
Carlos Vela and Xabi Prieto will look to do the damage down the flanks with Esteban Granero tucked in behind Finnbogason ready for any knock-downs. The Icelander is unlikely to get much change from Gerard Pique, mind you, so it could be a long afternoon for the centre-forward.
Markel Bergara and Ruben Pardo have the unenviable task of shutting down the lines that Barca's front three will look to inhabit throughout. Break through those and Mikel Gonzalez and Inigo Martinez are exposed centrally.
Martinez was man-of-the-match the last time these two sides met, and Moyes will be asking for more of the same.
Zaldua and Yuri will cover the wide defensive positions and will need to do a whole lot better than at times this season.
Player to Watch
Carlos Vela continues to be La Real's talisman. The figures show he hasn't had his most prolific of seasons, but two months missed through what was at first thought to be a season-ending injury throw a different complexion on things.
He is still Sociedad's highest scorer with eight with only Xabi Prieto leading him in the assists charts. Vela hasn't shown any signs of rustiness since his return to the side, and he remains capable of unlocking even the meanest defence.
Much of Real's play is dictated by the Mexican; he'll aim to penetrate in the area that Andres Iniesta will vacate as he pushes forward to support the Barca attack.
Vela has lost none of his accuracy and possesses an immaculate passing range. Barca will need to shut him down early to limit his influence in the match.
Key Battle
There really is no substitute for experience and that is especially true in the case of Xabi Prieto.
At 31 years of age, he is one of Moyes' elder statesmen, but he continues to provide a level of quality that is rarely matched. Any youngsters starting out in the game would do well to study footage of Prieto even now. He remains a fine exponent.
In an expected 4-2-3-1 setup from Moyes, Prieto will be in direct combat with Dani Alves.
The Brazilian has upped his game significantly in the last few games, perhaps as a result of contract talks potentially concluding. He'll need to choose his support for the attack wisely, however.
Prieto might have lost a yard of pace, but his mind is still razor sharp. More than capable of providing the killer pass for Finnbogason or the supporting Granero, he will still get in amongst it when the opportunity presents itself and won't need asking twice before peppering Claudio Bravo's goal.
Odds
The following pre-match odds are available, per Odds Shark:
Home Win: +1,429
Away Win: +4328
Draw: +843
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