Real Madrid, Barcelona head for Basque showdowns

– Real Madrid and Barcelona’s flying starts to the La Liga season will be put to the test tomorrow when they both travel to the Basque country.

Real play Athletic Bilbao while Barcelona visit Real Sociedad in fixtures that have often proved to be among their hardest away trips over the last decade.

Real were held to a goalless draw at the famously atmospheric San Mames stadium last season and have only won two of their five league visits to the ground since it was built in 2013, and they will face a typically hostile atmosphere as they chase a fourth win after seeing off Getafe, Girona and Leganes.

Champions Barca, meanwhile, have scored 12 goals in

Barcelona

their opening three league wins but have only picked up one victory in their last eight league visits to Real Sociedad’s Anoeta stadium, finally ending an 11year winless run there by coming from two goals down to win 4-2 in January.

Things could be even tougher than usual for Ernesto Valverde’s side as Real Sociedad will be playing for the first time at their stadium since it was renovated to get rid of a running track and bring the stands closer to the pitch.

A new pitch has been re-laid at Anoeta and both clubs will be hoping it fares better than the new surface Barca had to play on in their last away trip, when the pitch repeatedly cut up in a narrow 1-0 win at Real Valladolid which led to La Liga launching an investigation.

Barca often struggle in the first game back after an international break but this time they will benefit from extra rest for talisman Lionel Messi (left), who sat out Argentina’s recent international friendlies, and defender Gerard Pique, who has retired from the Spanish national team.

Real Madrid players featured heavily in Spain’s 6-0 drubbing of Croatia on Tuesday and the impressive display of midfielder Dani Ceballos may see him force his way into the starting line-up.

Elsewhere, Atletico Madrid host Eibar while Valencia will be out to rectify their poor record of two points from three games when they play host to Real Betis. – Reuters