Three talking points ahead of Real Sociedad vs Barcelona | La Liga MD20

Key Highlights

• (Photo by Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/)The feat was repeated in 2015 by Luis Enrique as his team hit 11 straight wins that campaign.
• Surprisingly, the Catalans went on to win the UEFA Champions League on that occasion too. Flick reaching that special figure in the previous fixture shows that the team are destined for something special this season – but tonight he has the chance to do something special and even cross the records held by Guardiola and Enrique. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe longest ever winning streak in Barcelona’s history is held by Frank Rijkaard, under whom the team hit 18 straight wins across all competitions.
• While that is still a long way out, Flick’s side moves closer to the impossible with every win from this point on. An awaited debutThe Copa del Rey fixture midweek turned out to be far closer than many expected, and it forced Hansi Flick to bring on the team’s big names late in the game to see out the result. While the team got the job done and saw the big names partially rested, one objective Flick could not achieve on the night was handing Joao Cancelo his debut. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementThe Portuguese international arrived back at the club earlier this month and will be with the Blaugrana until the end of the season.
• The manager has spoken highly of his attacking potential and it will be interesting to see where he fits into Flick’s dynamics. In all likelihood, Cancelo’s debut will arrive against La Real and it will be a matter of focus to see if the manager utilises him as a backup right-back or left-back. Further, Cancelo’s official integration into Flick’s plans will also free up some of the manager’s centre-back options who are currently stuck in full-back roles concurrently, i. e.
• the likes of Gerard Martin, Eric Garcia, and possibly Jules Kounde. All eyes, needless to say, will be on what Cancelo can provide in his few minutes off the bench and what the manager has in store for him. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementA memory to turn aroundBarcelona’s first season under Hansi Flick was as close to a dream season as it gets, for the club were seemingly unstoppable on all fronts. Can Barcelona continue their momentum against Real Sociedad?