Barcelona Eyes Top Spot Following Real Madrid's Slip

Barcelona has a golden opportunity to claim the top spot in the league standings after three months if they seize the chance presented by Real Madrid’s unexpected defeat against Betis in Sevilla. Should Barcelona triumph over Real Sociedad at Montjuïc, Hansi Flick’s team would pull three points ahead of their arch-rivals, Real Madrid, and extend their lead to one point over Atletico, the current provisional leader, following Atletico’s victory against Athletic Club at the Metropolitano.

Last season, Imanol Alguacil’s Real Sociedad faced a setback at the Olympic stadium (2-0), although the season before, they broke their losing streak with a 1-2 win at Camp Nou, ending a string of 27 consecutive defeats at Barça’s hands since drawing in April 1995 and securing a win for the last time in May 1991 (1-3).

This time, forecasts are once again in favor of the Blaugrana, who remain undefeated since the beginning of 2025 with 11 victories and 2 draws. They are chasing their sixth consecutive league win, inching closer to their record of seven straight victories at the start of the season.

Meanwhile, Real Sociedad have lost their last four away games in a row and gathered just 6 points from their recent 18, drifting away from the competition for European spots. They currently sit ninth, four points behind sixth-placed Betis.

Adding to their troubles, the Basque team will be missing the crucial presence of Kubo due to suspension and won’t have Becker, who scored the winning goal against Barcelona at Anoeta in November, in a match notable for a controversial disallowed goal for Robert Lewandowski.

On the Barcelona side, the main hiccup is an injury to Andreas Christensen, who got hurt during Saturday training and will be sidelined for approximately four weeks.

FC BARCELONA: Szczesny, Koundé, Araújo, Cubarsí, Martín, Casadó, Pedri, Olmo, Raphinha, Lamine Yamal, and Lewandowski.

REAL SOCIEDAD: Remiro, Aramburu, Aritz, Zubeldia, Javi López, Zubimendi, Olasagasti, Pablo Marín, Sergio Gómez, Barrenetxea, and Oskarsson.

REFEREE: Alejandro Quintero González.

STADIUM: Estadi Olímpic Lluís Companys.

TIME: 10:15 AM ET / 7:15 AM PT / 9:15 AM MX.