Barcelona return to Liga F Moeve at 12 h with a trip to Real Sociedad in the seventh round, and the biggest question is whether Kika Nazareth will get a few minutes. Pere Romeu said he is confident the midfielder can play some part after a spell of discomfort, while Barcelona also travel without Claudia Pina, who was injured during the Spanish national team camp in the United States.
The timing matters because Barcelona come in with a perfect 18 points and just days after the 7-0 win over Real Madrid, a result Romeu wants his team to put behind them quickly. He asked for a short memory and stressed that what the side has done so far is very good, but that football is about repeating it the next day. Pina’s absence is a blow: she scored four times in the Clásico and was the competition’s top scorer with nine.
Romeu’s caution is not about the standings. It is about keeping the level after a break and avoiding the kind of lapse that can creep in after a statement win. Barcelona also have other players working back from physical issues, with Vicky López still recovering from a rectus femoris injury on the right leg and Cata Coll and Caroline Graham Hansen also not travelling with their national teams because of discomfort. That leaves the squad thinner than the recent scorelines suggest.
Real Sociedad, meanwhile, arrive in the penultimate place with five points, but they have picked up form with a 0-1 win over Valencia in Liga F and a 4-0 victory over Hearts in the Europa Cup. Romeu also pointed to their strong individuals and good team structure, even if he noted that their start has not been the one they wanted. The Basque side will be led by Gorka Álvarez and could line up with Arrula; Camino, Claudia Florentino, Apari, Moraza; Paula Fernández, Ainoa, Intza, Eizagirre, Ainhoa Marín; Seelenfreund.
Barcelona, who return to the same ground where they suffered their only defeat of last season, by 1-0, are expected to stay aggressive despite the absences. Melissa López Ossorio of C. Extremeño will referee the match. The unresolved point is not whether Barcelona are favorites, but how much of Kika Nazareth Romeu is willing to use on her return and whether that fitness check becomes the first small adjustment in a team that has looked untouchable so far.
Barcelona could line up with Cata Coll; Aïcha, Irene Paredes, Martina Fernández, Brugts; Clara Serrajordi, Patri Guijarro, Schertenleib; Graham Hansen, Ewa Pajor, Kerolin.
