Barcelona’s closing recreation forward of the subsequent worldwide break sees them return to motion in La Liga and make a journey to the Basque nation the place they’ll lock horns towards Actual Sociedad.
On Sunday night time, the Catalans tackle Imanol Barrenetxea’s aspect at Reale Enviornment, a stadium the place they’ve traditionally loved a powerful document. Coming off a 5-2 win within the UEFA Champions League, furthermore, they are going to be driving a wave of momentum.
La Actual, in the meantime, misplaced to Viktoria Plzen within the Europa League earlier this week and have two losses of their final three video games throughout all competitions. They’re at the moment positioned eleventh within the league standings with simply 15 factors in 12 video games.
Barça Common brings you three speaking factors forward of Actual Sociedad vs Barcelona.
Time to rotate in assault?
Hansi Flick should relaxation certainly one of his attackers. (Photograph by David Ramos/Getty Pictures)
The hectic calendar has not coerced Flick to rotate his gamers a lot, and rightfully so provided that he has a flawless working components on his fingers.
The German tactician has been very good and minimalistic together with his rotations up to now. Earlier this week, he solely gave Dani Olmo and Alejandro Balde a break given their damage historical past and endured with the identical core.
The return of sources in midfield has supplied the supervisor with higher scope to rotate in midfield, however there’s a actual want to usher in modifications in assault because the trio of Raphinha, Robert Lewandowski and Lamine Yamal has seen little to no relaxation in current days.
Furthermore, all three gamers are very important for his or her nationwide groups and will likely be on responsibility over the subsequent two weeks after the sport towards Actual Sociedad.
Tomorrow might thus be the very best time to convey Ansu Fati into the dynamics to offer Yamal relaxation within the course of.
Additional, the supervisor also can contemplate deploying an additional midfielder to offer Raphinha relaxation as properly with the likes of Fermin Lopez and Dani Olmo each able to taking part in that position.
Lewandowski, in the meantime, will begin perhaps and it is going to be within the group’s greatest curiosity to get him off the sphere early within the second half if the result’s within the bag.
Will Pau Cubarsi take part?
Pau Cubarsi suffered a knock towards Crvena Zvezda. (Photograph by Angel Martinez/Getty Pictures)
Pau Cubarsi’s unlucky damage was the one black spot on Barcelona’s win over Crvena Zvezda midweek.
The younger defender put in a gargantuan shift towards the Polish aspect regardless of being underneath severe stress from the daunting environment. A rash problem previous the hour mark, nonetheless, noticed him undergo a scathing minimize to his face with profuse bleeding.
Cubarsi was instantly taken off the sphere and the wound on his face needed to be sutured with 9 stitches. The participant is determined to take part towards Actual Sociedad on the weekend however it’s a query that solely Hansi Flick can reply.
The younger defender has been unnoticed of Spain’s dynamics for the worldwide break owing to his wound and it might be within the Catalans’ greatest curiosity to provide him the time he requires to utterly recuperate.
Concurrently, nonetheless, there’s a faculty of thought that his partnership with Inigo Martinez is invaluable and that he can play with a protecting masks.
A closing choice over Cubarsi’s participation will solely be made forward of kickoff after session with the medical employees and the way the participant feels. Ought to he not begin, nonetheless, Flick might decide to shift Jules Kounde to central defence with Hector Fort on the appropriate.
Another choice, nonetheless, is at hand younger Sergi Dominguez a begin in what will likely be a extra dangerous method.
The right window
Essential interval for Flick and Barcelona. (Photograph by David Ramos/Getty Pictures)
The October-November window was largely seen as Barcelona’s most important part of play within the season up to now, particularly given the high-profile opponents they’d in line.
With six video games scheduled in 21 days, the query of managing all video games with a restricted squad dimension and the everlasting downside of fatigue as soon as once more lurked.
Hansi Flick and his males, nonetheless, have exceeded all expectations up to now. With 5 of the six video games previous us, they’ve received all matches, scoring 21 objectives and conceding simply 5 within the course of.
Tomorrow’s recreation gives them with a novel probability to finish the ‘good’ window with six wins in six video games. In any case, Hansi Flick spoke not too long ago about it being a goal for the group to realize the feat.
Having taken aside Bayern Munich and Actual Madrid alongside the way in which, Actual Sociedad are a comparatively easier opposition for the Blaugrana to sort out. Furthermore, they’ve a terrific document at Reale Enviornment with their final defeat coming in 2016.