News
SAT 09.11.2024
Real Sociedad are preparing to host LALIGA EA SPORTS leaders FC Barcelona in a highly-anticipated Matchday 13 clash that will take place on Sunday at the Reale Arena. The visitors will travel to San Sebastián after having recorded a comfortable 3-1 home win in their local derby against RCD Espanyol. Having won 11 of their 12 league games so far this season, FC Barcelona top the league table with 33 points. Hansi Flick has turned his side into a scoring machine, one which averages 3.33 goals per match. In fact, Los Blaugranas boast the two men who sit top and second-top in the scoring charts in Robert Lewandowski and Raphinha, who have netted 14 and seven goals, respectively.
Meanwhile, Real Sociedad will look to build on their momentum after grabbing a 2-0 victory over Sevilla FC away at the Estadio Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán. A slow start to the 2024/25 season means Real Sociedad sit 11th in the league table with 15 points, but they remain confident of qualifying for Europe for what would be a sixth consecutive season.
Curiously, Real Sociedad’s struggles have mostly come at home, where they’ve clinched just one win in six home games thus far. Furthermore, the Txuri-urdin haven’t celebrated a league victory on home soil against FC Barcelona since April 9th 2016, when the current Real Sociedad captain, Mikel Oyarzabal, netted the winner to clinch all three points for the hosts. Since then, Barça have registered six wins and two draws in their last eight league games in San Sebastián.
A La Masia reunion in San Sebastián
In their bid to clinch all three points at home against FC Barcelona, Real Sociedad will lean on a La Masia graduate in Take Kubo. The Japan international stood out away at Sevilla FC and netted the opener, inspiring his team to a well-earned road victory. Numbers confirm that whenever Kubo finds the back of the net, it’s great news for the Basques, as Real Sociedad have registered 17 wins and one draw in the 18 games where the Japanese player has beaten the opposition goalkeeper.
Kubo was part of the famous FC Barcelona academy between 2011 and 2015, when he featured alongside current players Ansu Fati and Eric García. “Eric’s family was very good to Take’s family,” Óscar Hernández, former FC Barcelona assistant coach and brother of club legend Xavi Hernández, explained to Relevo. “On trips, Eric’s parents were in charge of taking Take’s parents and brother with them so that they wouldn’t miss any games.”
The Real Sociedad forward also developed a close friendship with Ansu Fati, with whom he may share the Reale Arena pitch on Sunday. “Ansu is the one Kubo became best friends with in their day-to-day life together,” Hernández added. “Eric lived in Martorell and only trained together [with Kubo], while Take and Ansu shared free time after school. It was with these two that he got along the best.”
On Sunday, Kubo will face an FC Barcelona team heavily relying on academy products such as Lamine Yamal, Pau Cubarsí, Dani Olmo, Fermín López, Alejandro Balde and Marc Casadó, the majority of whom are considered undisputed starters despite their young age. Boasting the youngest squad in the league this season, Los Blaugranas have demonstrated that they can beat any team. However, following their morale-boosting win in Seville, Real Sociedad are aware that they have what it takes to upset the LALIGA EA SPORTS leaders and they’ll try to finally replicate their solid away form on home soil.
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