Real Sociedad has struggled to find consistency in their La Liga campaign, managing just one win in four matches—a narrow 1-0 victory away against Espanyol.
They have already suffered two home defeats, both 1-2 losses against Rayo Vallecano on the opening day and Deportivo Alaves. Before the international break, they had to settle for a 0-0 draw away at Getafe, leaving them in 12th place, well below their expectations.
Real Madrid, currently sitting 2nd in La Liga, has also faced some inconsistency with two draws in their away matches so far. They drew 1-1 with Mallorca on the first matchday and then with Las Palmas by the same scoreline.
However, their latest 2-0 win over Real Betis saw new star Kylian Mbappé make a significant impact, scoring one of the goals with a penalty that was graciously passed to him by Vinicius.
Real Sociedad faced notable departures over the summer, including key players Robin Le Normand (to Atlético Madrid) and Mikel Merino (to Arsenal), both of whom were part of Spain’s European Championship-winning squad.
Diego Rico and Alex Sola also left for Getafe. However, the club bolstered its squad with the signings of Sergio Gomez (Man City), Luka Sucic (Salzburg), Nayef Aguerd (West Ham, on loan), and Icelandic striker Orri Oskarsson (from Copenhagen for €20 million).
After serving a suspension, captain Mikel Oyarzabal is expected to return, though they are missing key players like Elustondo, Odriozola, Zakharyan, Hamari Traoré (recovering from cruciate ligament surgery), and midfielder Brais Mendez due to injuries. Additionally, Jon Pacheco and Ander Barrenetxea are doubtful due to physical concerns.
Real Madrid is dealing with injury issues as well, though Aurélien Tchouaméni and Ferland Mendy, initially expected to miss out, may still play.
However, David Alaba and Dani Ceballos remain unavailable, along with key players Jude Bellingham and Eduardo Camavinga. Fans will be looking to Kylian Mbappé, who has already netted 3 goals in 5 appearances, to continue his impressive form.
This summer brought significant changes for Real Madrid, with departures including Joselu, who scored a crucial double in the Champions League semi-final second leg against Bayern Munich, and Nacho. Club legend Toni Kroos also retired. Additionally, Latasa moved to Valladolid, and Nico Paz joined Calcio Como after being part of the rotation last season.
During the international break, defender Éder Militão sustained an injury, meaning he will miss this game, leaving only Rüdiger and Vallejo as options in central defense, along with the absences of Alaba and Joan Martinez due to cruciate ligament injuries.
Prediction
Real Sociedad’s recent home matches in La Liga have been low-scoring affairs, with under 2.5 goals in 10 of their last 14 games.
Similarly, Real Madrid has seen fewer than 2.5 goals in 12 of their last 14 games. As a result, this game is expected to be tightly contested with minimal goal-scoring chances.
Prediction: Real Sociedad 0 : 1 Real Madrid
