The lowdown on Real Sociedad

Real Sociedad provide the opposition at the Estadi Olimpic this Monday (9pm CEST). Here's the lowdown on the team that is hot on the trail of a place in Europe next season.

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.

Head to head

Barça were on an impressive 17-match run without defeat to Real until they lost 2-1 at Spotify Camp Nou last season, although that defeat needs to be viewed in context as the Catalans had already sewn up the Liga title when that game was played.

Last five meetings
04/11/23 (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

Historically, Rial Sociedad has the third highest number of defeats away to Barça in the league, 65 in 76 attempts. Only Espanyol and Athletic Club have lost more although in terms of percentages (85.53%), Real's record is poorer than those two.

Form guide

Real Sociedad have spent the whole season hanging just below the Champions League places, and although it is still a mathematical possibility, the Europa League is far more likely scenario at this stage, which is currently looking like a head-to-head battle with Real Betis.

Their home form is particularly to blame for the gap that has opened up between Real and the top four places, with just two wins in their last nine games at the Reale Arena. On the road, meanwhile, they have only been beaten once in their last seven trips.

Real also had decent runs in the other two competitions they were involved in. They finished top of a Champions League group also featuring Inter Milan, Red Bull Salzburg and Benfica, but Paris Saint Germain put them out in the first knockout round.

And despite not getting to play any games at home, they worked their way into the semi-finals of the Copa del Rey, where they eventually lost out to Mallorca on penalties.

The players

Ter Stegen could still win the Zamora award for the best goalkeeping record of the season, but it's starting to look difficult. But the man between the sticks at Real has a very strong chance of scooping the trophy. Álex Remiro is currently second bind another Basque goalie, Unai Simón.

Most International caps
André Silva (Portugal, 53), Hamari Traoré (Mali, 58), Kieran Tierney (Scotland, 43), Takefusa Kubo (Japan, 34); Mikel Oyarzabal (Spain, 28); Mikel Merino (Spain, 20), Umar Sadiq (Nigeria, 10), Sheraldo Becker (Suriname, 9), Robin Le Normand (Spain, 9), Arsen Zakharyan (Russia, 8), Martín Zubimendi (Spain, 5), Álvaro Odriozola (Spain, 4), Brais Méndez (Spain, 4)

Barça connections
Japanese winger Takefusa Kubo spent four years of his youth at La Masia but had to leave due to a FIFA ruling. 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.

Barça's Iñigo Matrinez will be facing one of hius former clubs in this match. He's the latest of a long line of blaugrana players with a past at Real, the most recent being Rafinha, but there have also been Griezmann and goalkeeper Claudio Bravo in recent years, and going back to the Dream Team years, there were Txiki Beguiristain, Bakero and López Rekarte. Others in the list are Oier Olazábal, Periko Alonso, Goikoetxea and Kodro.

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 over a 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 guided the team to its first major trophy for 38 years, the Copa del Rey, as well as four consecutive top six finishes, and is on course to make it five. He also took them to the Champions League for the first time since 2014.

He is the third longest-serving coach in La Liga, topped only by Diego Simeone of Atlético and Joseba Arrasate of Osasuna (although the latter is standing down at the end of the season to take charge of the Spanish U21 team).