Barcelona vs Real Sociedad prediction: SPAIN: LaLiga betting tips on match 2025-03-01 15:15.
[p]In a thriller that saw both sides claw back two-goal deficits, Barcelona played out a 4-4 draw with Atlético Madrid in their Copa del Rey semi-final first leg on Tuesday, extending their unbeaten run to 14 matches (W11, D3). Attention quickly turns back to La Liga, where the title race is finely poised, with a single point separating the top three teams ahead of this round of fixtures as Barça find themselves at the summit thanks to a five-game league winning streak.[/p]
[p]That run includes three victories at Estadi OlĂmpic LluĂs Companys – helping erase the frustration of three consecutive home defeats in La Liga prior to that – so they will be eager to extend that form. History here favours the hosts, who have won 25 of their last 26 league H2Hs on their own patch against Real Sociedad (L1), but Barça will remain cautious having lost the reverse fixture 1-0 in November.[/p]
[p]Sociedad fell to a 1-0 loss at home against Real Madrid in their Copa del Rey semi-final first leg and may already be thinking about next week’s UEFA Europa League last-16 first leg against Manchester United. In La Liga, they remain outside the European qualification spots as things stand, but with just a one-point gap to the top six ahead of this round, they are still contenders despite posting four defeats in their last six league matches (W2).[/p]
[p]Their struggles have been particularly evident away from home, having lost on five of their last six La Liga trips (W1), including four in succession. They now risk suffering five consecutive league defeats on the road in a single campaign for the first time since March 2012 – a streak that ominously began with a 2-1 loss at Barcelona. [/p]
[p]Players to watch: Raphinha has assisted three goals in his last two games and scored Barcelona’s second in last season’s corresponding 2-0 win. Sociedad’s Brais Méndez has faced Barça more often than any other opponent without finding the net (15 matches) and has accumulated a joint-personal high four yellow cards against them, including one in the reverse fixture.[/p]
[p]Hot stat: Sociedad are the only side yet to concede after the 75th minute away from home in La Liga this season.[/p]
[p][i]Written by Sridhar B[/i][/p]