Match story
- Barcelona fired more attempts (19 vs 7 shots).
- Barcelona held more of the ball (74% possession).
Barcelona defeated Real Sociedad 1-0 in Copa del Rey. The fixture is part of the Quarter-finals stage in the 2022 season. The match was played at Spotify Camp Nou in Barcelona. Jesús Gil officiated the match. The full-time result capped a Barcelona vs Real Sociedad meeting in Copa del Rey with detailed post-match statistics available on Sportra. This match centre covers lineups, live events, player ratings, team statistics, xG, head-to-head history, and related news for Barcelona and Real Sociedad. On Sportra you can view xG, lineups, match statistics, events, player ratings, predictions, head-to-head history, and related news for this fixture.
Copa del ReyRecorded meetings: 7 (available previous meetings, not necessarily all-time).
No prediction, odds, or comparable team statistics are available for this fixture yet. When Sportra has model probabilities and market prices, they will appear here as interactive charts.
The Portuguese midfielder has quickly become an important part of Madrid’s squad since arriving this summer, making his place among the substitutes one of the talking points before kick-off. Bernardo Silva is among the notable absentees from Real Madrid’s starting lineup against Real Betis, with Jose Mourinho making several changes for Friday’s La Liga trip to Seville. The Portuguese midfielder has quickly become an important part of Madrid’s squad since arriving this summer, making his place among the substitutes one of the talking points before kick-off. Real Madrid enters the match looking to maintain its perfect start to the 2026-27 campaign. Mourinho’s side had collected nine points from its opening three games, scoring 10 goals while conceding only twice, but the trip to Betis represented a considerably tougher test. Betis has traditionally made life difficult for Madrid at home, having avoided defeat in each of the previous four meetings between the sides in Seville. Los Blancos’ last away victory over the Analusians came in August 2021, meaning Mourinho had a significant unwanted streak to end. Manuel Pellegrini’s side also arrived with something to prove after suffering a surprising 5-2 defeat against Levante. Before that setback, Betis had opened the season with consecutive 1-0 victories over Real Sociedad and Valencia and remained one of the stronger teams outside La Liga’s traditional giants. DateReal Madrid’s OpponentCompetitionResultAug. 30, 2026MalagaLa LigaWin (4-0)Aug. 26, 2026Real SociedadLa LigaWin (4-1)Aug. 22, 2026EspanyolLa LigaWin (2-1) Real Madrid, meanwhile, had built considerable momentum. After narrowly beating Espanyol 2-1 away from home, it defeated Real Sociedad 4-1 before putting four past newly promoted Malaga. DateReal Betis’ OpponentCompetitionResultAug. 29, 2026LevanteLa LigaLoss (2-5)Aug. 25, 2026ValenciaLa LigaWin (1-0)Aug. 21, 2026Real SociedadLa LigaWin (1-0) Why Bernardo Silva is not starting against Betis The Madrid manager had plenty of selection decisions to make, particularly with the Champions League opener against Inter approaching next week. In fact, the expected lineup had suggested Bernardo Silva could feature from the start, but the final team sheet delivered a different outcome. However, the reason is primarily tactical, with Mourinho choosing Eduardo Camavinga and Federico Valverde as his midfield pairing for the trip to La Cartuja. Arda Guler starts on the right side of the attacking unit, while Bellingham continues in his familiar advanced role behind Mbappe. Bernardo Silva of Real Madrid controls the ball during the preseason friendly at Groupama Arena. (David Balogh/Getty Images) Silva therefore begins the match on the bench, despite being one of Madrid’s most experienced midfield options. The decision represents another example of Mourinho rotating his new signing as he continues to establish the right balance in his midfield. The Portuguese midfielder joined Real Madrid from Manchester City on a free transfer in June 2026, signing a contract through 2028. His versatility means Mourinho can deploy him as a deeper midfielder, No. 8, No. 10 or in wider positions, giving the coach plenty of options even when Silva does not start. Silva still has major role to play Silva’s position in the squad should not be viewed as a sign that Mourinho has lost faith in him. The 32-year-old arrived after nine seasons at Manchester City, bringing enormous experience and a winning mentality to a Madrid team undergoing significant changes. Mourinho has already shown that he is willing to rotate his midfield options rather than rely on the same XI every week. With La Liga and the Champions League beginning to overlap, keeping players fresh could become increasingly important. That makes Silva an especially valuable option from the bench. His technical quality and ability to operate in multiple positions give Mourinho a player capable of changing the rhythm of a match, particularly if Betis ma
The WSL season kicks off tonight and the Guardian’s women’s football writer Suzanne Wrack is here now answering your questions – from what to expect from London City Lionesses after their signing spree to whether Manchester City can go back to back.Ask a question: log in or sign up here.Weekender73 asks: Daughter’s favourite player: Ellie Carpenter. Mine: Mary Fowler. Who is right?Suzanne: Both. Who am I to say who an individual’s favourite player should be? It’s personal, and mine would probably be different - no I’m not saying who, probably because I’m not totally sure! They’re both top players, Ellie Carpenter has looked rampant in Chelsea’s two games against Real Sociedad in the last two weeks and both looked excellent last season when they featured. Hopefully Mary Fowler has an injury-free season back at her best following her recovery from her ACL injury.Suzanne: This is what I think is really exciting this season. Each year, while you haven’t necessarily been able to predict exactly which of Arsenal, City or Chelsea will win the title, you could predict that the only points they would drop would be against each other, at least 99% of the time. This season, I think the likelihood of those teams dropping points to some of those in the chasing pack on a more frequent basis is much higher.We saw Brighton, Tottenham, London City Lionesses, Aston Villa, Liverpool and Manchester United all take points off the top three across the course of last season and I think that trend will continue. How the top three handle that and how those challenging for the ‘best of the rest’ mantle capitalise is going to be super interesting. Continue reading...
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Brighton boss Fabian Hurzeler has been speaking to the media before Saturday's Premier League game against Leeds United at Amex Stadium (kick-off 15:00 BST). Deadline-day signings Chema Andres, a £15.5m arrival from Stuttgart, and Femi Azeez, who joined from Millwall in a deal worth up to £15m, are both "great characters".
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