The lowdown on Sunday's opponents Real Sociedad
La Liga returns for the final fixture for the blaugranes before the upcoming international break and Real Sociedad provide the opposition this weekend. Here's the lowdown on the team that the Catalans will be facing in a Sunday 9pm CET kick-off.
Where are they from?
San Sebastián (Donostia in the Basque language) is a beautiful city on the north coast of the Iberian Peninsula, in the Basque Country and just 20 km from the French border. It’s relatively small, with a wonderful old district and spectacular scenery overlooking La Concha bay, making it a very popular place to take a city break.
The club
One such visitor was King Alfonso XIII, who used to stay in the city every summer, which is how the ‘Sociedad de Futbol’ (Football Society) came to be called the ‘Real Sociedad’ (Royal Society) in 1909.
The club is now well-established as a regular feature of la Liga, but its truly golden years were 1981 and 1982, when they won back-to-back league titles. Such success has never been repeated, although they have finished second three times since, most recently in 2003.
They have won the Copa del Rey twice, first in 1987 and then again in 2020, when they defeated their local rivals Athletic Club in the final.
Incidentally, when you hear Spaniards speak of ‘La Real’, they mean Real Sociedad. ‘El Real’, using the masculine, typically means Real Madrid.
The venue
Anoeta, currently known as the Reale Arena for sponsorship purposes, was opened in 1993 as a replacement for the historic Atotxa ground of days gone by. Following further expansion work, it now has room for 40,000 fans. It has also been used for major club rugby fixtures played by French outfit Biarritz Olympique, and was the venue for the 2020 Women’s Champions League Final.
Head to head
Real Sociedad away was very much Barça's bogey fixture for a while. The Catalans failed to win any of eight league and cup games in San Sebastián between 2011 and 2016. However, in a remarkable turnaround in events they have not lost on any of their last nine visits, and currently the blaugranes are on a run of four straight wins and are looking to set a new club record of five consecutive victories in San Sebastián.
Barça were on a 17-match run without defeat to Real until they lost 2-1 at Spotify Camp Nou in May 2023, although by then they had already sewn up the La Liga title.
Last five meetings
13/05/24 (LIGA) Barça 2-0 Real Sociedad
4/11/23 (LIGA) Real Sociedad 0-1 Barça
20/05/23 (LIGA) Barça 1-2 Real Sociedad
25/01/23 (LIGA) Barça 1-0 Real Sociedad
21/08/22 (LIGA) Real Sociedad 1-4 Barça
Form guide
Real Sociedad have been uncharacteristically poor at home in the Reale Arena so far this season. The Basques currently have the worst home record of the 20 teams in La Liga with just one win in six matches in front of their own fans. Imanol Alguacil's team have lost to Rayo Vallecano, Alavés, Real Madrid and Osasuna at home this season in the league and it is only their excellent away form that has kept them away from the relegation zone with 11 points from their total of 15 picked up on the road. Coming into Sunday's visit of FC Barcelona, Real Sociedad sit in 11th place in the league table.
Barça connections
Japanese winger Takefusa Kubo spent four years of his youth at La Masia between 2011 and 2015. After returning to Japan, he then spent four years on the books at Real Madrid, but on loan to different Spanish clubs, eventually joining Real Sociedad. This season he is Real's top goalscorer with 3 goals so far in all competitions.
Winger Sergio Gómez came through La Masia and played for Barça Atlètic before leaving for Borussia Dortmund in 2018. More recently, the Catalan had a spell with Manchester City before arriving in San Sebastián in the summer of 2024.
Barça centre back Iñigo Martinez began his career at Real Sociedad and made over 200 first team appearances before leaving for rivals Athletic Club in 2018.
The manager
A right back for the club in the nineties, Imanol Alguacil is Real Sociedad through and through. He has been part of its coaching setup for the last decade. After Asier Garitano was fired in December 2018, he took command of the first team (having previously already done so temporarily after Eusebio Sacristán had been dismissed), and has been in the post ever since. Alguacil has guided the team to five consecutive top six finishes with Real Sociedad last season playing in the Champions League for the first time since 2014.