Real Sociedad v Barcelona Betting Preview – La Liga 14th January 7.45pm
Barcelona returned to league action after the winner break and rolled out a comfortable 3-0 home win to start the new year with a bang. It keeps them unbeaten in the Spanish top flight all season and on a current four-match winning streak as well. Will Real Sociedad have enough in the tank to prevent Barca’s winning streak from continuing? They do actually have some great home from going against the Catalans.
Real Sociedad v Barcelona Betting Tips
Real Sociedad aren’t exactly carrying great form into this fixture as they have collected only the one win in their last seven league matches. That is in a W1 D3 L3 record that they have posted in that sequence of matches. The lone victory in that stretch of games was a notable one though as it came at home when they took down Sevilla in what was a surprise win for them against a strong side. Sociedad have collected just the three home wins this season in the Spanish top flight and in each of those victories they scored at least three goals. However, they have also failed to score in three of their last four games and lost out at Leganes last weekend as La Liga resumed. They have a great average return of goals at home this season as they are up over two goals per game and 78% of their home fixtures have gone over 2.5 while almost 70% have gone over 3.5 goals. So that’s something to weigh up in the William Hill over/under 2.5 goals market.
It’s hard to see them collecting a clean sheet so both teams to score at William Hill for 1/2* (Betting Odds taken January 9th, 2018 at 6.05 pm). Real Sociedad actually are in decent home form against Barcelona as they are W2 D2 in their last four at home, so they have frustrated the Catalans. All four of those games were under 2.5 goals incidentally. Real Sociedad are actually W5 D2 L0 in their last seven home games in La Liga against Barcelona which is a fantastic record. These two met four times last season in league and cup and Barcelona took a W3 D1 record from those meetings, totalling ten goals across those fixtures. So it is an interesting scenario, of whether or not Real Sociedad will be able to shake off their average form and deliver the goods at home against Barcelona once more. Barcelona are pretty hot right now and the league leaders will be defending their unbeaten form for the season in the Spanish top flight as they make the trip to the Anoeta.
Barcelona have posted a W7 D2 in their nine road games this season and of those seven victories, they have taken a clean sheet in six of those successes. Barcelona to win to nil at William Hill is a price of 9/5* (Betting Odds from January 9th, 2018 at 5.25 pm). Barcelona have netted at least two goals in each of their victories on the road in the top flight this season and they have tallied 19 goals on the road. Their defence has been rock solid too with just the three goals shipped, having earned a clean sheet in 67% of those away games. Barcelona are currently ten points better off than they were last season and they are just an efficient and powerful machine at the moment, coming back after the winter break last weekend to stuff Levante 3-0. They are easing their way to the title and with the arrival of Philippe Coutinho from Liverpool (who is an injury doubt) and the return of Ousmane Dembele from injury, they are going to get stronger and stronger. Barca have netted in 100% of their away matches this season.
Real Sociedad v Barcelona Betting Odds*
Barcelona 2/5, Draw 15/4, Real Sociedad 6/1* (Betting Odds taken January 8th, 2018 at 11.11pm)
Real Sociedad v Barcelona Predictions
Barcelona are just going to be value to back to win to nil in this one. They have been comfortable all season and weight Dembele back and now Coutinho joining their ranks they are only going to get stronger as well. Away win to nil.
