With a week’s rest for the first time in an age, FC Barcelona return to the field on Sunday “without a margin of error”, as local newspaper SPORT have put it.

Their foes, Real Sociedad, are one of La Liga’s toughest opponents. Yet they have fallen off the pace a little while knocked out of the Europa League by Manchester United and a full 10 points short of Champions League qualification in fifth place behind Sevilla.

The Blaugrana will take courage from having beaten them three times in the past year as well.

On March 7, 2020, Lionel Messi scored a late winning penalty, in what was the final game played before a crowd at the Camp Nou prior to the coronavirus pandemic breaking out.

Then, in December, at that same ground, Ronald Koeman’s men launched a stunning comeback to sink the Basques 2-1 while also beating them on penalties the following month in the Spanish Super Cup semifinal.

“We’re right behind the leaders [Atletico Madrid], but any game we don’t win makes it harder,” Koeman pointed out at his prematch press conference. “This is our third game against Real Sociedad and they’re one of the best teams in the competition, with a coach who’ll make it an interesting tactical battle … I don’t think they’ll be distracted by the [Copa del Rey] cup final because there’s an international break in between and they have time to worry about Athletic later.”

Lining up for the visitors then, Marc-Andre ter Stegen will start in goal with support from a back three of Ronald Araujo, Frenkie de Jong and Oscar Mingueza.

Wing backs Sergino Dest and Jordi Alba will be expected to run up and down the pitch in defense and attack, and as De Jong is having to muck in elsewhere, Pedri will partner Sergio Busquets in the heart of midfield.

Up top, Lionel Messi is positioned as a central attacking midfielder to feed French forwards Antoine Griezmann and Ousmane Dembele.

A couple of hours before kick off, Barca will hope that Atletico slip up against Alaves as this would mean that, through a win, the Catalans could be as few as one or two points off the chase at the summit.