One of Barcelona’s toughest games of each season has come unusually early in the campaign.
A trip to Anoeta and a date with Real Sociedad is enough to strike fear into the most hardy Blaugrana, given that they’ve won only once there in La Liga in the last 11 years.
That victory came last season and from being down 0-2, making the eventual 4-2 Barca win all the sweeter.
With the Catalans sitting stop the league again, unbeaten and with only two regrettable goals conceded, they arrive in San Sebastian in good shape.
Let’s take a look at three things that could influence the outcome of this one.
New Anoeta
Even though the stands used to be a long way away from the pitch owing to Anoeta’s athletics track, the venue was never a happy hunting ground for the Catalans.
A lack of atmosphere didn’t help the visitors in any way, shape or form.
Now, with three sides of the stadium upgrade complete, and those stands now just a few yards from each touchline, Barca will have another battle to fight as well as one on the pitch.
The noise that the locals will make for their first home game of the 2018/19 season will be like nothing this stadium has ever witnessed before.
A response from Messi and Co. will be needed, but how will they fare?
Willian Jose to rattle Barca’s back line
Sociedad centre-forward, Willian Jose, isn’t really given the credit that his forward play deserves.
Physical, technically good and with a decent eye for goal, the striker has been a thorn in Barcelona’s side before, and he’s already made his mark this season with two goals.
The hosts normally start off well in this fixture and we can expect them to press Barca high from the first whistle.
It’s imperative that David Zurutuza and Mikel Oyarzabal get down the flanks and feed the striker as often as possible.
We already saw in the Huesca game what happens when Umtiti and Pique are put under pressure.
Dembele’s test against Theo
Though he seems not to have made the grade at the Santiago Bernabeu, Theo Hernandez remains a bright, young left-back.
Undoubtedly a player who takes no prisoners, Theo’s short fuse can be his downfall but also a motivational tool.
Ousmane Dembele will roast him for pace throughout this match if given the chance, but as Aleix Vidal can attest, he’ll happily use his physical attributes to stop his countryman in his tracks.
How this particular battle pans out, may end up deciding where the points go once the final whistle is blown.
