Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid will be looking to make it three straight wins in La Liga when they host Real Sociedad on Saturday.
Real Sociedad will be looking to strengthen their chances of securing European football with a win over Atletico Madrid at the Reale Arena. Diego Simeone’s men might be heading into this fixture on the back of a defeat in the cup, but they are still favourites to secure all three points here.
The home team are third on the table with 51 points in their 26 outings. They have won 15 games, drawn six, and lost five so far. After a run of three league games without a win, Atletico Madrid have won their last two league outings against Espanyol and Real Oviedo.
However, they are heading into this fixture on the back of a 3-0 defeat at the hands of Barcelona in the second leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final. While it was not an ideal result, Los Rojiblancos did make it to the final. As a result, it is unlikely to affect the mood in the camp. Expect Simeone’s men to push hard for another league win.
Meanwhile, the visitors are eighth on the table with 35 points in their 26 outings. They have won nine, lost nine and drawn eight games so far. The Basque outfit are only five points behind sixth-placed Celta Vigo, so they do have a realistic chance of securing European football.
Real Sociedad are heading into this fixture on the back of consecutive wins. They defeated RCD Mallorca 1-0 in La Liga before taking down Athletic Club 1-0 in the 2nd leg of the Copa del Rey semi-final. La Real have booked their place in the final, which will certainly boost their confidence.
With Atletico Madrid and Real Sociedad set to square off in the cup final in just over a month’s time, this league fixture becomes very important from a psychological point of view. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and tries to predict the tactics they could deploy.
Team News & Tactics
Atletico Madrid
Atletico Madrid could have a fully fit squad for this fixture, as Pablo Barrios, who has missed the last four outings, is expected to be back in the squad for this one.
Diego Simeone’s men will line up in a 4-4-2 formation, where Jan Oblak will feature in goal. Marcos Llorente and Matteo Ruggeri will feature as the full-backs for the home team, while Marc Pubill will pair up with David Hancko in the heart of the defence.
As for the midfield unit, Giuliano Simeone and Ademola Lookman will feature on the flanks. They will support the full-backs, as well as provide width to their attacks. Meanwhile, Koke will partner with Johnny Cardoso in a more central role in the centre of the park.
The central midfield duo will look to control the tempo of the game. Finally, Alexander Sorloth is expected to return to the starting eleven to pair up with Argentine World Cup winner, Julian Alvarez.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Oblak; Llorente, Pubill, Hancko, Ruggeri; Simeone, Cardoso, Koke, Lookman; Alvarez, Sorloth
Real Sociedad
Real Sociedad will be without the services of Alvaro Odriozola (knee), Inaki Ruperez (knee), and Takefusa Kubo (hamstring) because of injury. But they do have a boost as Brais Mendez is back available after serving a suspension last time out.
The visitors are expected to line up with a similar XI to the one that started their last outing, with the only change being the return of Alex Remiro in goal. Real Sociedad will stick to the 4-2-3-1 formation against Atletico Madrid.
Jon Aramburu and Sergio Gomez will feature as the full-backs, while Jon Martin will start alongside Igor Zubeldia at the heart of the defence. The back four will look to keep things tight, and they will receive significant support from Jon Gorrotxategi and Benat Turrientes, who will form the double pivot in midfield.
Carlos Soler will feature as the attacking midfielder, with Goncalo Guedes and Ander Barrenetxea taking charge on the flanks. Finally, Mikel Oyarzabal should continue to lead the line for Real Sociedad against Atletico Madrid this weekend.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Remiro; Aramburu, Martin, Zubeldia, Gomez; Gorrotxategi, Turrientes; Guedes, Soler, Barrenetxea; Oyarzabal
Key Stats
- After a run of three straight wins in all competitions, Atletico are heading into this one on the back of a defeat at the hands of Barcelona.
- Meanwhile, Real Sociedad have won their last two outings heading into this fixture.
- The reverse fixture between the two teams earlier in the season ended in a 1-1 draw.
- Real Sociedad haven’t beaten Atletico Madrid since January 2022.
- The Madrid-based giants have picked up 34 points in their 13 home games, the second-best record in the division behind Barcelona.
Player to Watch
Julian Alvarez
Alvarez has taken over from Antoine Griezmann as the leader of Atletico Madrid’s attack, and he is certainly living up to the expectations. In his 39 outings across competitions, he has contributed towards 20 goals (14 goals, 6 assists).
While he started the season in fine form, he has not been in the best of touch in La Liga for some time. The 26-year-old only has one goal in his last 15 league outings. However, having broken the 14-game drought in their last league outing against Real Oviedo, Alvarez will be looking to build on it.
Prediction
Atletico Madrid 2-1 Real Sociedad
Atletico Madrid will be keen to build on their recent league wins and maintain their strong home form. Diego Simeone’s men have been very difficult to beat at the Metropolitano, and with the likes of Julian Alvarez and Alexander Sorloth leading the line, they should be confident of creating enough chances to trouble the Sociedad defence.
However, Real Sociedad head into this clash in good spirits after consecutive victories and will look to make things difficult for the hosts. Given what is at stake and the upcoming cup final between the two sides, this could turn out to be a tightly contested affair.
Even so, Atletico Madrid should have just enough quality to edge the contest and secure all three points. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for the home team.
