Barcelona's shock defeat in last weekend's El Clásico has reignited the La Liga title race, with Luis Enrique's men now only six points clear of second-place Atlético Madrid. It's still a lead that they'll be expecting to hold onto, but that defeat has certainly served as a wake-up call to anyone who thought the race for the crown was a foregone conclusion. Barça will look to carry the momentum generated by their midweek Champions League win over Atléti into their encounter away at Real Sociedad on Saturday.
Real Sociedad vs. Barcelona 2016 live stream: Time, TV schedule and how to watch online
Barcelona will look to move a step closer to lifting the La Liga title with a win away at Real Sociedad on Saturday.
Manuel Queimadelos Alonso/Getty Images
Their Basque hosts had a difficult start to the season under David Moyes, but his replacement, former Barcelona B coach Eusebio Sacristán, appears to have steadied the ship. Their win away at Sevilla last time out may have ended a run of five without victory, but they still find themselves sitting in a comfortable mid-table position. Though an upset looks unlikely, it's certainly not impossible.
Key player: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
The absence of Barcelona top scorer Luis Suárez shouldn’t come as too big a concern for Enrique. After all, he still has Neymar and perhaps the greatest player of all time, Lionel Messi, up his sleeve. Messi currently trails his Uruguayan teammate by four goals in the La Liga scoring charts, but that’s a gap he could close in a single match. He’s certainly the man La Real’s defense will be most worried about silencing.
Recent history
Barcelona have won their last two matches against Real Sociedad, though both were on home soil. Rather intriguingly, they’ve lost their last two away in the Basque Country, where they haven’t won a single game since way back in 2007. La Real have been something of a bogey team for the Catalan giants, though that’s unlikely to play on Barça’s minds too much.
Real Sociedad injuries and suspensions
Out: Oier Olazábal (abdominal strain); Imanol Agirretxe, Carlos Martinez (ankle); Sergio Canales (knee); Markel Bergara, Yuri Berchiche (suspended). In doubt: Iñigo Martínez, Aritz Elustondo (thigh).
Barcelona injuries and suspensions
Out: Aleix Vidal (abductor); Sandro Ramírez (hamstring); Jérémy Mathieu (knee); Luis Suárez (suspended). In doubt: None.
La Real are currently suffering badly on the injury front, and head into this game without several important players. Chief among them is playmaker Canales, who ruptured his ACL in December. Their problems are compounded by the suspensions of Bergara and Yuri, though Martínez and Aritz could be available if they pass late fitness tests.
In contrast, Barça’s only crucial absentee is striker Suárez, who misses this game through suspension. He’ll be joined on the sidelines by defenders Vidal and Mathieu, and young striker Sandro.
Match date/time: Saturday, 2:30 p.m. ET, 8:30 p.m. local
Venue: Estadio Municipal de Anoeta, San Sebastián, Spain
TV: beIN Sports en Español (US and Canada - Spanish); Sky Sports 5/HD (UK)
Online: beIN Sports Connect (US and Canada); fuboTV (US); Sky Go (UK)
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