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7 months ago
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We are almost there. On Wednesday evening, PSG will play a large part of their season against Real Sociedad. A first leg match at the Parc des Princes where Luis Enrique’s men are logically the big favorites. But the Parisians will also have to be wary of the Basque team. Here are the 5 keys to the meeting to hope for an evening without unpleasant surprises.
Protect the surface
This is Real Sociedad’s big weakness. The Basque team is a rather playful team, which manages to find its way to the rival area without too many complications. However, as paradoxical as it may seem, it is also a team that struggles to score. Especially in big matches. The fault lies with an offensive sector in which there are no guaranteed number 9s. Alexander Sorloth’s departure last summer was not covered; Umar Sadiq struggling to come back from his long injury while André Silva is a total failure. It would not even be surprising if Imanol Alguacil chose to play without a real number 9, with an Oyarzabal-Kubo duo at the forefront. The Spaniard and the Japanese are the team’s top scorers this season with 8 and 6 goals in the league. If PSG manages to lock down its surface well, as La Liga teams manage to do more and more every weekend, it should not suffer too much.
The battle in the middle
If there is one area of the pitch where Real Sociedad can look PSG in the eye, and even with a little superiority, it is the midfield. THE Txuri-Urdines thus count in their ranks players like Martin Zubimendi, already considered one of the best defensive midfielders in Europe and coveted by many big names from the Old Continent, but also the box-to-box Mikel Merino and the creator Brais Mendez. Three Spanish internationals who are references in La Liga, and who all have arguments to hurt the Parisians. If we explained above that Real Sociedad has difficulty up front, these three are quite accustomed to projecting themselves and crucifying the rival with a strike from outside the area for example. The Real midfielder is also quite comfortable in different contexts: when it is necessary to deprive the opponent of the ball, when on the contrary it is necessary to leave the leather to the rival and come out quickly, or even in a simple style of play. not very hybrid and always difficult for opponents to understand.
Neutralize Kubo
But if there is one player who stands out in this Real Sociedad, it is not the three players mentioned above, nor Mikel Oyarzabal or Ander Barrenetxea, who still remain players to watch. Takefusa Kubo is the offensive leader of this team and clearly its most differential player. We have clearly seen in recent weeks, with the departure of the Japanese for the Asian Cup, that Real is in a bit of difficulty when he is not there. Without going so far as to say that there is a Kubo-dependence, we can still say that if Luis Enrique manages to develop a plan aimed at neutralizing the Japanese prodigy, Real Sociedad will be much less dangerous as the player trained to La Masia is poison between the lines.
Play in quick transition
On paper, Real Sociedad seems like a real wall. In 2024, Imanol Alguacil’s troops have only conceded 5 goals in 10 games, including one from a penalty. On paper, we might think that the Basques are a foolproof defense… Which is not the case. Real Sociedad has a completely respectable defense, that’s obvious, and this hinge made up of Franco-Spanish Robin Le Normand and Igor Zubeldia is quite solid… But not impregnable. It should also be noted that although Real Sociedad is a fairly balanced team, it has difficulty defending in rapid transitions, for example, and the speed of PSG players can make the difference. If the Parisians manage to recover the lead with a Basque team high enough on the pitch, there is clearly a way to do harm by planning quickly.
Physical commitment
Contrary to what one might think, Real Sociedad will impose a significant physical challenge on the Parisians. The Basques are a team that plays a fairly fluid and offensive game with the ball… But they don’t let themselves get carried away in attack, and also know how to break the rhythm and break down opponents. They are the second team that commits the most fouls in La Liga, with only four fouls fewer than the first, Getafe. At the end of November, Real Sociedad was the team whose matches had the least effective playing time (51:57 on average). Beneath their appearance of nice guys, Imanol Alguacil’s flock know how to chop up the rhythm and somehow spoil a match if necessary. Beyond that, it’s a team that presses quite well, which is intense and which has for years always been in the top 5 or more of the teams which run the most in the championship. Luis Enrique is warned…
