Messi key as Barcelona face tough test at Anoeta

All eyes will be on Barcelona captain Lionel Messi as his team faces Real Sociedad at Anoeta in match-day 4 of the Spanish league.
Anoeta has always been a tough place to visit for Barcelona in recent years. The Blaugranas have lost points at Sociedad’s backyard, while they just have one victory in last 8 meetings.
Real Sociedad have had an overwhelming record against the defending champions at home. In last 8 meetings, Sociedad have won 5 times, drew twice, while lost just once.

What’s worse is that the fixture comes immediately after a two-week international break which means mandatory wear-and-tear can be expected in some of the Barca superstars.
Fortunately for the blue-and-red side, captain Lionel Messi had a well-deserved rest as he opted against playing for Argentina for national team friendlies.
This means Messi would be one of the few players with less wear-and-tear and aftershocks, and hence, is key to Barcelona’s title defence, that might face a major blow if the team even slightly underestimates Real Sociedad.

There would also be added pressure since Barcelona play earlier than Real Madrid, vary of losing points and slipping in the rankings.
Messi’s personal record has also not been Messi-esque. In the 8 fixtures, the little Argentine has scored just 4 goals, while at the Camp Nou, he has scored 11 in 10 against the same opponent.
Barcelona will face Sociedad later this evening at 7:15pm Pakistan time.