Barcelona hope to put a frustrating opening weekend behind them as they travel north to meet Real Sociedad in the second match of La Liga play this season.
Despite a prolific preseason and a host of new attacking weapons at their disposal, the Blaugrana were blanked at home against Rayo Vallecano in a 0-0 draw last week. Recently acquired Robert Lewandowski has yet to get off the mark in the Spanish top flight, but could do so on the road this weekend.
Real Sociedad finished sixth in La Liga last season and are sure to present another defensive challenge for the Barcelona front line, which is still building chemistry.
La Real got off to a winning start last weekend as they topped promoted side Cadiz 1-0 on a debut goal from former Real Madrid winger Takefusa Kubo. The Japanese international found the back of the net on 24 minutes, and that was all they needed to secure the three points.
LIVE BLOG: Follow the Real Sociedad vs. Barcelona match live as it happens, with commentary & highlights
Real Sociedad vs. Barcelona TV channel, live stream
| UK | USA | Canada | Australia | |
| Date | Sun, Aug. 21 | Sun, Aug. 21 | Sun, Aug. 21 | Mon, Aug. 22 |
| Time | 21:00 BST | 16:00 ET | 16:00 ET | 06:00 AEST |
| TV channel | Premier Sports 1, ITV4 | — | — | — |
| Streaming | Premier Player, Amazon Prime Video | ESPN+ | TSN Direct, TSN app, TSN.ca | Optus Sport |
UK: Sunday's match between Real Sociedad and Barcelona from Reale Arena in San Sebastian, Spain will be televised and streamed by Premier Sports with a free-to-air broadcast on ITV4. The stream is also available on LaLigaTV via Amazon Prime Video.
USA: La Liga matches are exclusively available in English and Spanish on ESPN's subscription-based streaming service ESPN+.
Canada: La Liga matches can be found in Canada on TSN platforms, with this match streamed exclusively via TSN Direct, TSN app, or TSN.ca.
Australia: Australia's sole broadcaster for La Liga is Optus Sport, who also carries the Premier League across the country.
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Real Sociedad vs. Barcelona projected lineups & team news
Real Sociedad are missing striker Mikel Oyarzabal who continues to recover from an ACL tear, leaving Aleksandar Isak as the main man up front.
They also lost defender Diego Rico last weekend to a hamstring injury, the third for the club with Alex Sola and Carlos Hernandez also sidelined with similar problems. That sees Aihen Munoz in at left-back to replace the injured man.
Otherwise, manager Imanol Alguacil has not chopped and changed, going with an otherwise unmoved starting lineup. with David Silva could be key to helping open up Barcelona at the back.
Real Sociedad starting lineup (4-2-3-1): Remiro (GK) — Munoz, Le Normand, Zubeldia, Elustondo — Zubimendi, Merino — Mendez, Silva, Kubo — Isak.
The only player in the Barcelona squad unavailable for this match is midfielder Sergio Busquets who was sent off in the dying minutes of last week's 0-0 draw with Rayo Vallecano. Busquets will miss just one match after receiving his marching orders for a second yellow card.
New signing Jules Kounde has yet to be registered by the club as they navigate their well-documented financial issues, hoping to offload some of the squad's salaries before the player registration deadline at the end of the month. Full-back Sergino Dest was left out of the squad for the second straight match as manager Xavi looks set to force the American out.
Otherwise, the entire Barcelona playing group is available for selection, and Xavi has dipped into his substitutes for some changes after the draw last time out. Ferran Torres replaces Raphinha up front, while Alex Balde comes into the defensive line to replace Jordi Alba. Taking the spot of Busquets is Frenkie de Jong, with Franck Kessie still waiting for his first La Liga start.
Barcelona starting lineup (4-3-3): Ter Stegen (GK) — Balde, Garcia, Christensen, Araujo — Pedri, de Jong, Gavi — Dembele, Lewandowski, Torres.
Do you want an assist? Better call Dembélé 📞⚽️ pic.twitter.com/CqUDP2dWAv
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) August 19, 2022
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Real Sociedad vs. Barcelona betting pick & prediction
Odds via DraftKings (USA), Sports Interaction (Canada), & SkyBet (UK)
Real Sociedad have been a defensive-minded side the last few years, conceding 37 and 38 goals in the past two seasons.
That hasn't stopped Barcelona, however. The Blaugrana bagged five goals over the two matches against La Real last season, and eight between the two league meetings the year prior, including a 6-1 road victory in San Sebastian.
Look for a hungry Barcelona front line to feast as they endeavor to get off the mark, and Robert Lewandowski should open his La Liga account. The Polish striker has been here before — after failing to score in his first Bundesliga match with Bayern Munich in 2014, he then found the back of the net the following week for his first Bayern goal.
Given Lewandowski went two consecutive league matches without scoring just twice all of last season in Germany, he'll be a good bet to pick up three points for Barcelona in this match.
- Pick: Barcelona win & over 2.5 goals (+220 on DraftKings)
- Prediction: Real Sociedad 1-3 Barcelona
| DraftKings | Sports Interaction | SkyBet | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Real Sociedad win | +230 | 3.29 | 12/5 |
| Draw | +250 | 3.47 | 5/2 |
| Barcelona win | +105 | 2.06 | 11/10 |
| Both teams to score Y / N | -165 / +130 | 1.60 / 2.06 | 8/13, 6/5 |
| Over / Under 2.5 goals | -125 / +105 | 1.76 / 1.99 | 1/1, 8/11 |
| Barcelona -0.5 | +110 | 2.08 | — |
| Real Sociedad +0.5 | -130 | 1.73 | — |
