Barcelona chases the lead on the night of Szczesny and Yamal's return

Barcelona are aiming to overtake their arch-rivals Real Madrid at the top of La Liga after their 5-2 defeat to Atletico Madrid. The Catalan side currently sits on 16 points, and a win over Real Sociedad will see them climb to the top of the table, boosted by the presence of goalkeeper Wojciech Szczesny and the return of talented winger Lamine Yamal after recovering from injury . The team, led by German coach Hansi Flick, faces a major challenge due to a succession of injuries. This week, they were without goalkeeper Juan Garcia and Brazilian Rafinha, while Casado is still suffering from some muscle pain. Despite these circumstances, Barcelona has regained confidence after a series of offensive victories in Yamal's absence, scoring 14 goals in recent matches. The young player is expected to feature on Sunday, even if only for a few minutes, while the return of full-back Balde will provide an additional boost despite the strong competition from Gerard Martín on the left flank . Lineup changes seem inevitable for Flick, who has relied on an average of nearly four substitutions per game since the start of the season. The absence of German goalkeeper Ter Stegen and Juan Garcia pushes the Polish keeper into the starting lineup, having proven his worth last season by losing only two of 30 matches. To replace Rafinha on the right flank, options vary, including bringing Rooney back or bringing in Ferran Torres or Marcus Rashford. The upcoming Champions League match against Paris Saint-Germain could prompt more rotation . Barcelona enters the match eager to capitalize on rivals Real Madrid's slump, while Real Sociedad seeks to regain their footing and escape the specter of negative results, making the clash one of the most prominent fixtures of the seventh round of La Liga.