Barcelona finally got their man as the transfer window opened, picking up Philippe Coutinho from Liverpool. However, he is injured and won’t be in the lineup as the La Liga leaders visit Real Soceidad on Sunday.
Barcelona
Barcelona cruised to a 3-0 win at home over Levante in their first league match after the holiday break, getting goals from Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Paulinho. Barca now has a nine-point lead atop the table over Atletico Madrid, but the big news was their signing of Coutinho, who they have wanted for a while now. They paid Liverpool $143 million for him, but with add-ons, the price could go up to $192 million for Coutinho, who has a thigh injury and will be out for three weeks. Coutinho played with Suarez for two years at Liverpool and the two had quite the connection, while this also takes some of the pressure of Messi, who has been asked to do everything for Barcelona recently. Now, it’ll be interesting to see who will see their playing time decrease when Coutinho comes back. Andres Iniesta can’t play every game anymore. Is it Ivan Rakitic? Sergi Roberto? Paulinho? Barca still has a couple of weeks to work that out, but one thing is for sure: Coutinho makes them much better.
Real Sociedad
Sociedad sit in 12th place in the table after a 1-0 loss at Leganes and even though they’re eight points clear of the relegation zone, that still isn’t enough to ensure Sociedad’s safety. Sociedad is scoring goals, and their 30 goals is fifth in the league behind Barcelona, Valencia, Real Madrid and Celta Vigo. However, the issue is that they can’t stop the other team from scoring as they have allowed 30 goals, which ties them with Eibar, and only Las Palmas, Deportivo La Coruna, Real Betis and Malaga have given up more. That should be their mission during the transfer window, but it is tough to guess how active Soceidad will be. If nothing else, they’re fun to watch. Also, Sociedad might have one edge in this game besides being at home. Barcelona has to play at home against Celta Viga in the second leg of the Copa Del Ray on Thursday, and the score is tied at 1-1. That could be a tiring game for Barcelona, and Sociedad has to have their foot on the gas from the start.
Outlook
Barcelona are favored away from home at -250, while Sociedad comes in at +600 and a draw is rated at +375. The two met four times last year, with Barcelona winning both Copa Del Ray matches as well as at home in the league. However, Sociedad has been tough on Barca at home, drawing this league match last season. Prior to that, Barcelona hasn’t won at Sociedad since April 2007, with Sociedad taking five wins and two draws in seven matches. This is going to be a tricky match for Barcelona, especially as Sociedad will be rested and they need three points, although they’ll be happy with one.
La Liga Betting Pick: Barcelona
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