La Real puts the Barça crisis to the test – Spain’s News

A game of six points. That is what Barça has this Thursday at the Reale Arena in San Sebastián. The team led by Xavi Hernández is looking to lick its wounds after consecutive defeats against Eintracht and Cádiz in one of the most complicated stages of the competition and against a direct rival. Real Sociedad will test a team that is going through a delicate moment and that will need its best version to hit the table and begin to ensure its presence in the next Champions League, the most important objective that remains for the cules.

«We played a final against a direct rival. It is our reality. Three weeks ago we got excited about the League and today that is far from us, now we are going for second place. The primary objective is to be in the Champions League, that’s why they signed me », assured Xavi at the press conference prior to his team’s match against Real Sociedad. The Catalan coach is aware of the change of scenery that has occurred in his team just a week ago and knows the importance of a meeting that can be decisive for this new reality. A victory would allow them to maintain second place and would leave Imanol’s team eight points behind, and with one more game.

To achieve this goal, Xavi will be able to count on Gerard Piqué and Ronald Araujo, two capital footballers in the Barça defense who were not available on the day of Cádiz. They are the main novelties of a squad list in which Sergi Roberto, Ansu Fati, Samuel Umtiti and Pedri are not yet due to injury. All these absences will condition an eleven in which the Catalans will come out with all the meat on the grill. With Busquets, Gavi and Frenkie de Jong in midfield and, this time, with the trident in attack formed by Dembélé, Aubameyang and Ferran Torres. There is no possibility of experiments in a real Champions League final.

The game will be a tough test for Xavi’s men because one of the fittest teams in the competition will be up against it. Real Sociedad has reached the last stretch of the course, adding five consecutive games without knowing defeat and has turned the Reale Arena into a real fort. No one has won there in 2022 and Barça’s visit is the ideal moment to make a splash. “We are very excited, hopefully we can offer the best version to be able to win the match and be close to the greats with five games to go,” said Imanol, who sees the possibility of winning the Champions League ticket closer than ever.

To achieve this victory, Imanol will not be able to count on one of the differential players in the squad. David Silva will not be after the red card he saw against Betis and his coach will have to find solutions in a team that will also miss Barrenetxea, Carlos Fernández, Nacho Monreal and Mikel Oyarzabal due to injury. All these absences do not worry a technician who trusts his wardrobe. “I have everyone super plugged in,” he said in the preview.

The black beast of the Real

Barcelona arrives at the Reale Arena knowing that they are facing a difficult team, but also a rival that has done extremely well in recent years. The culés have not lost to the txuri-urdin since 2016. Since then they have accumulated a record of eleven wins, three draws and no defeats in all competitions. Especially painful for those from San Sebastián was the 1-6 that the azulgranas signed last year at a festival in which Messi and Dest scored a brace and in which Griezmann and Dembélé completed a scandalous thrashing.