The 2021-22 edition of La Liga returns to the fold with another round of fixtures this week as Real Sociedad lock horns with Xavi's Barcelona side in an important clash at the Reale Arena on Thursday.Real Sociedad vs Barcelona PreviewBarcelona are currently in second place in the La Liga standings and have been plagued by inconsistency over the course of their season. The Catalans slumped to a shock 1-0 defeat at the hands of Cadiz in their previous game and cannot afford another debacle this week.Real Sociedad, on the other hand, are in sixth place in the league table at the moment and have seen their fortunes dip after a strong start to their campaign. La Real held Real Betis to a 0-0 stalemate over the weekend and will need to take it up a notch in this fixture.Real Sociedad vs Barcelona Head-to-Head and Key NumbersBarcelona have an impressive record against Real Sociedad and have won 30 out of 44 matches played between the two teams, as opposed to Real Sociedad's eight victories.Real Sociedad are winless in their last 11 matches in La Liga against Barcelona - their worst winless run against the Catalans in nearly 62 years.After a run that saw them lose five out of six games at Reale Arena, Barcelona are unbeaten their last five away matches against Real Sociedad.Since 2011, Barcelona have lost five matches at Reale Arena - more than any other stadium in La Liga duing this period.Real Sociedad are unbeaten in their last seven matches in La Liga and have managed to keep clean sheets in all these games.Barcelona are unbeaten in their last 12 away games in La Liga and have won four games on the trot away from home.Real Sociedad vs Barcelona PredictionBarcelona were shockingly poor against Cadiz and will need to prove their mettle yet again this week. The Catalans have been in a resurgent mood under Xavi and will look to bounce back in this fixture.Real Sociedad@RealSociedadEN Squad list ahead of tomorrow’s match. AUPA REAL!!!#RealSociedadBarça | #AurreraReala51📋 Squad list ahead of tomorrow’s match. AUPA REAL!!!#RealSociedadBarça | #AurreraReala https://t.co/5VFCEb2i7UReal Sociedad have managed to overcome their slump over the past month and will need to work hard to trouble the Blaugrana. Barcelona are the better team at the moment, however, and they hold the upper hand this week.Prediction: Real Sociedad 1-2 BarcelonaUp to $250 Deposit Match at BetRivers/SugarHouseReal Sociedad vs Barcelona Betting TipsTip 1: Result - BarcelonaTip 2: Game to have over 2.5 goals - YesFC Barcelona@FCBarcelona𝑾𝑶𝑹𝑲234293𝑾𝑶𝑹𝑲 https://t.co/ZGR1PxCAPdTip 3: Real Sociedad to score first - YesTip 4: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to score - Yes