Real Sociedad coach, Gorka Álvarez, has prepared his women's team for this weekend's duel against Barcelona, considered one of the biggest challenges on the calendar. In the preview, Álvarez praised the quality of the rival and at the same time stressed the need to adapt the txuri urdin game to be able to compete at that level.
According to the coach, the recent national team break has given him the opportunity to work more calmly and introduce new concepts to the squad. “The break has allowed us to pause the day-to-day, implement fresh ideas and strengthen those that already work,” he explained. In addition, she highlighted the importance of talking individually with the players and receiving feedback on what is working. “Now we have to face a special match due to the caliber of the rival and open a parenthesis that may lead us to change the game model,” she added, pointing out the need to adapt to a group of high-level players.
Álvarez recalled Real Sociedad's victory over Barcelona last season and the dominant position of the Catalan in the competition and at European level. “Barcelona is a team that always reinvents itself, bets on young people and shows that an idea can be implemented in different ways,” he commented. He emphasized that Barça “submits a lot” and that its style of play can make teams that are not used to losing the ball suffer.
To face this pressure, the coach stressed that the txuri urdin must change their approach to be more effective. "Other stronger teams suffer less. Against these teams we must change to try to be effective in another way," she concluded. With this strategy, Álvarez hopes that his team can compete with the level of Barcelona and achieve a victory that reinforces its position in the table.
The next match promises to be a clash of styles and a test of Real Sociedad's ability to adapt. With the right preparation and mindset, the women's team looks to overcome the challenges posed by Barcelona's dominance in the women's league.