Real Sociedad - Barcelona preview - Barca braced for testing trip

Posted Saturday, January 03, 2015 by PA

Barcelona goalkeeper Claudio Bravo has warned his team-mates to expect another tough evening when they come up against his former club Real Sociedad on Sunday.

Barca head to San Sebastian seeking to keep pressure on Real Madrid, who top the table by one point going into the weekend but also boast a game in hand on most of their rivals.

Barca have not won at the Estadio Anoeta since a 2-0 victory in May 2007, and lost 3-1 on their last trip in February, a game Bravo played in for the Basque side.

"It's a tricky stadium where the fans really get behind their side," the Chile international said on Barca's website."It will be a different game this season with different players but there is no doubt it will be tough."

Bravo, who has established himself as Barca's number one ahead of Marc-Andre ter Stegen after both moved to the Nou Camp last summer, is looking forward to seeing some familiar faces even as he tries to reverse Barca's form in the Basque city.

"It will be a special game," he said. "Every game I have played in my new career here have been fantastic but this will be special because it is against my former club and I have unforgettable memories from there.

"Every game from now on is a chance to pull back points. If we do our job then sooner or later our rivals will lose. We are aware that we cannot afford another slip up because [Real Madrid] they would get away from us. To be up there and put pressure on Madrid we have to win our matches."

Sociedad sit just two points from safety, and coach David Moyes is eager to maintain their strong home record against Barca to keep his side away from the relegation scrap.

As well as beating Barca in the league last season they also drew 1-1 with the Catalan giants at Anoeta in the Copa del Rey.

"If we can perform as well as we did in both those games it will give us a great chance of getting a result," the former Manchester United boss said in a press conference.

"We have to be hard to beat when we don't have the ball and positive with the ball to cause Barca problems. Undoubtedly they are a very, very good team but when they come to San Sebastian we have to show them it is not an easy place to come."

Barca's Dani Alves trained with his team-mates on Friday after overcoming a calf strain, meaning Luis Enrique had all of his players available bar Thomas Vermaelen.

For Sociedad, Carlos Vela and Carlos Martinez are rated as doubtful, David Zuratuza is out. Gorka Urkola and Mikel Gonzalez are back in training but this match will come too soon, Moyes said.