Real Sociedad v Barcelona Betting Tips [21 August 2022]

Barcelona will look to bounce back after a 0-0 opening day draw to Rayo Vallecano when they head up north to take on Real Sociedad for matchday two of La Liga. It wasn’t the start of the season that the Blaugrana faithful had in mind after the blockbuster signings of players like Lewandowski, Raphina and Kessie in the summer. The Catalan club was ultimately kept off the scoresheet despite dominating the ball with 68% of the possession, 21 shots and two clear cut chances while limiting their opponents to only four total shots. They will face off against a Real Sociedad side that got off to a winning start after a 1-0 away win against Cadiz, courtesy of a first half Takefusa Kubo goal. La Real are seeking their first win against Barcelona since 2016. 

As previously mentioned, Barcelona dominated much of the game against Rayo but ultimately lacked the cutting edge in front of goal to get the winner. However, it is likely only a matter of time until Lewandowski in particular finds his feet for his new club and starts banging in the goals. If they can put forth a similar performance in this match as they did in the season opener then the Catalan giants will likely be in a good position to get the three points against a tricky opponent in Real Sociedad. Since taking over the managerial role of Barcelona, Xavi has now been in charge of 38 total matches across all competitions with a record of 20-10-8. What stands out in his tenure so far has been his success as the away team with Barcelona holding a 12-6-2 record as the visitors under the legendary midfielders guidance.