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Preview: Barcelona vs. Real Sociedad

Sports Mole looks ahead to Barcelona's visit of Real Sociedad as the Catalans look to move a step closer to La Liga glory.

La Liga leaders Barcelona host Real Sociedad at Camp Nou on Saturday hoping to maintain their red-hot form and move one step closer to La Liga glory.

With the prospect of the treble still burning brightly, Luis Enrique's side can move five points clear of second-placed Real Madrid, who play Valencia later that evening.



Barcelona

Barcelona players celebrate a goal during the UEFA Champions League football match FC Barcelona vs FC Bayern Muenchen at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on May 6, 2015© Getty Images

With one foot planted in the final of the Champions League, and a two-point lead at the summit of La Liga with four to play, the chances are that Barcelona, who also have a Copa del Rey final with Atletico Madrid on the horizon, will emphatically bounce back from a trophiless season last time around.

This time last season Gerardo Martino's Barcelona had been eliminated from both the Copa del Rey and the Champions League, and were trailing eventual Liga champions Atletico by three points. Fast forward 12 months and Enrique looks to be succeeding where Martino failed.

After thumping Bayern Munich 3-0 in a first-leg semi-final on Wednesday, the Catalans resume domestic duties in the visit of Sociedad this weekend as they look to close in on part one of a second treble since 2009 - and few would bet against a clean sweep.

With 31 points from a possible 33 in tow, and five successive Champions League wins since the competition entered the knockout stages, the Blaugrana have been almost flawless since a 1-0 home defeat to Malaga in February delivered a shock to the system.

The 2-2 draw at Sevilla last month was the closest that Barcelona have come to losing in a hot streak that has their domestic and continental rivals scratching their heads when trying to locate a weakness.

Their star-studded attacking triumvirate of Lionel Messi, Neymar and Luis Suarez has proven just as prolific as the club would have dreamed when adding the latter to the mix back in July, with the trio netting 111 times between them this season.

All three found the net in last week's 8-0 win at Cordoba and, unfortunately for Real, barnstorming Barcelona look to be growing stronger with each passing game.

Recent form: WWWWWW
Recent form (all competitions): WWWWWW



Real Sociedad

Head coach David Moyes of Real Sociedad shakes hands with Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona at the end of the La Liga match on January 4, 2015© Getty Images

Despite only being in Spain a matter of months, Real Sociedad boss David Moyes has already added a victory over Barcelona to his CV and, if there is one reason to be cheerful ahead of facing the Catalans on home soil, it will be that 1-0 win at the Anoeta Stadium in January.

Jordi Alba's own goal after two minutes was enough as the Scottish manager, who took the job in November, secured what has undoubtedly been the high point of his brief tenure thus far.

It has been a trying last 12 months for Moyes, who was fired by Manchester United last April after proving an underwhelming replacement for Sir Alex Ferguson at Old Trafford.

Still, the 52-year-old looks to be enjoying football again and has achieved what he was hired to do - steer La Real to safety.

Sociedad sat second from bottom when Moyes replaced Jagoba Arrasate but, with 13 points separating them and relegation now, it is safe to say that the former United and Everton manager has preserved the club's top-flight status for another year.

They come into this on the back of a 3-0 win over Levante - his eighth Liga victory as coach - but it was that triumph over Barca that takes pride of place in Moyes's short stint and Saturday's hosts will be wary of history repeating itself.

Recent form: LDLDDW



Team News

Barcelona's French defender Jeremy Mathieu celebrates after scoring a goal next to Real Madrid's defender Sergio Ramos during the 'clasico' Spanish league football match FC Barcelona vs Real Madrid CF at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona on March 22, 2015© Getty Images

Defender Jeremy Mathieu, who missed Wednesday's thrashing of Bayern, remains a doubt, having been the only player that failed to train on Friday.

The Frenchman's absence could pave the way for Thomas Vermaelen to make the squad again as the Belgian awaits his debut following an injury-ravaged first season.

Meanwhile, Moyes confirmed that midfielder Sergio Canales would make the trip to Camp Nou.

Moyes dropped the 24-year-old last week in a decision that he labelled a "private matter", but the Scot will recall the ex-Real Madrid youth, whose future at the club is in doubt.

Barcelona possible starting lineup:
Bravo; Alves, Pique, Mascherano, Alba; Rakitic, Busquets, Iniesta; Suarez, Neymar, Messi

Real Sociedad possible starting lineup:
Rulli; Zaldua, Martinez, Gonzalez, Berchiche; Bergara, Pardo, Granero, Prieto; Vela, Finnbogason



Head To Head

Surprisingly, Barcelona have not dominated this meeting in recent years as much as one might have expected. Sociedad have won the last two La Liga meetings, having also earned a 1-1 draw in a Copa del Rey clash in the Anoeta Stadium last season.

Ominously, though, it has been 20 years since Barcelona have failed to beat Sociedad at Camp Nou - 18 home games.



Video Preview

Hit play below to see what the Sports Mole Sofa had to say about this encounter:



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We say: Barcelona 4-0 Real Sociedad

Given Barcelona's domestic form, coupled with their significant advantage in the personnel department, it is difficult to see Sociedad leaving Catalunya with anything other than a morale-sapping defeat and we reckon Barca will move another step closer to La Liga glory.



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Written by
Shane Callaghan
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Luis Enrique Martinez faces the media during his official presentation as the new coach of FC Barcelona at Camp Nou on May 21, 2014
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2Real Madrid18124241182340
3Barcelona19122551222938
4Athletic Bilbao19106329171236
5Villarreal188643430430
6Mallorca199371921-230
7Real Sociedad187471613325
8GironaGirona187472625125
9Real BetisBetis186752122-125
10Osasuna186752327-425
11Celta Vigo187382728-124
12Rayo Vallecano185762021-122
13Las PalmasLas Palmas186482327-422
14Sevilla186482027-722
15Leganes184681728-1118
16AlavesAlaves184592130-917
17Getafe183781115-416
18Espanyol1843111630-1415
19Valencia172691626-1012
20Real ValladolidValladolid1833121237-2512


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