As the curtain rises on the new La Liga season this week, Barcelona will host Real Sociedad to kick off the first match of the new season. Looking back at last season, Barcelona finished third in the league, while Real Sociedad came in fifth. Whether Barcelona can start the new season without the legendary Lionel Messi will be a major question mark in this matchup.
Despite finishing third in the league last season, Barcelona made changes to their squad in the offseason. The team brought in new additions such as Depay, Aguero and Garcia, while also losing Lionel Messi, a perennial centerpiece. After a summer of turmoil, Barcelona is in desperate need of a win to boost their morale.
Who does the Barcelona team without Lionel Messi rely on up front for the new season? Fati, Dembele and Aguero are still recovering and Depay will need time to integrate into the team. With Philippe Coutinho back and Griezmann still in the lineup, they will take on the offensive burden in the new season. In addition, Braithwaite will also be an important point of attack.
Real Sociedad finished fifth in the league last season and qualified for the UEFA Cup. In the transfer window, the team hardly made any important reinforcements, maintaining the integrity of the lineup. However, the team's top scorer Isaac may be absent due to injury when they face rival Barcelona in the first match of the new season, which will have a huge impact on Real Sociedad's attacking strength.
In the past 10 La Liga meetings between the two teams, Barcelona won 8 and drew 2 to remain undefeated, Real Sociedad last beat Barcelona in the league, but also back in 2016. Facing Real Sociedad at home, Barcelona has won all 14 matches. The game will be launched on August 16 at 2:00 am Beijing time. How will Barcelona start in the post-Messi era? Can Real Sociedad break the embarrassing situation? Let's wait and see.
Fans who support both teams, don't forget to follow this La Liga showdown on time.
