Real Sociedad will look to secure Champions League football for next season when they hit the road to square up against Atletico Madrid.
Third-placed Atletico Madrid are all set to square up against fourth-placed Real Sociedad who can secure UCL football with a win in this fixture. The home team played out a disappointing 3-3 draw with Espanyol last time out and will be eager to bounce as they look to push for the second spot in the league. Meanwhile, the visitors are on an unbeaten run and will look to extend it.
Diego Simeone’s men slipped from second place to third after their draw against Espanyol. They are just one point behind city rivals Real Madrid and will be eager to finish above them. The home team have already secured Champions League football so they don’t really have much to worry about.
However, finishing over Real Madrid is something they would love to do, so they might push an extra yard in the last two fixtures of the season. As far as the visitors are concerned, they have a five-point advantage over fifth-placed Villarreal and a win will seal Champions League football for next season.
While they would love to get it done in this fixture, they don’t really need to rush as they can afford a slip-up. But they will try their best to avoid a must-win situation on the final day of the season. Real Sociedad have been unbeaten in their last five league fixtures, they have won four of those and will be keen on adding to it when they take the field against Atletico.
In the reverse fixture, the two teams ended up playing a 1-1 draw. It is expected to be another close encounter between two teams but this time we might see one come out on top with the barest of margins. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at this fixture and tries to predict the tactics they could use.
Team News & Tactics
Atletico Madrid
Diego Simeone could be without the services of seven first-team players for this fixture. The likes of Alvaro Morata, Thomas Lemar, Memphis Depay, Marcos Llorente, Jan Oblak, Stefan Savic and Reinildo are all out injured.
🎙️ Simeone
❝Real Sociedad plays very well. Their growth year after year is extraordinary❞. pic.twitter.com/XcrFXkDH9X
— Atlético de Madrid (@atletienglish) May 27, 2023
There are no fresh injury concerns for the home team as a result we could see a similar playing XI to that of the last match. Simeone is expected to once again start with the 3-5-2 formation, where Ivo Grbic will feature in goal.
Mario Hermoso, Axel Witsel and Jose Gimenez should be the three centre-backs for this outing. The trio have been consistent throughout the season, and they will look to put in another defensive masterclass performance.
Yannick Carrasco and Nahuel Molina should start out wide in the centre of the park. The duo will feature as wing-backs, they will support the defence and provide the width to their attack. Pablo Barrios will start alongside Koke and Rodrigo De Paul as the three central midfielders. Meanwhile, Angel Correa will accompany Antoine Griezmann as the two forwards.
Probable Lineup (3-5-2): Grbic; Witsel, Gimenez, Hermoso; Molina, De Paul, Koke, Barrios, Carrasco; Griezmann, Correa
Real Sociedad
The visitors will be without the services of Sadiq Umar and Martin Merquelanz, who are out injured. Meanwhile, they do have a boost as Asier Illarramendi and Igor Zubeldia are back after serving their suspension.
⚔ 𝗪𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗻’𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗶𝘁 𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗹 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝘆 @IbaiLlanos#AtletiRealSociedad | #AurreraReala pic.twitter.com/HYVxBKwygD
— Real Sociedad 🇺🇸 🇬🇧 (@RealSociedadEN) May 27, 2023
David Silva is still a doubt for this fixture after being subbed on in the first half of their last outing. The visitors are expected to go ahead with the 4-4-2 formation, where Alex Remiro will be in goal. Andoni Gorosabel and Aihen Munoz should be the full-backs. In the heart of the defence, Igor Zubeldia should pair up with Robin Le Normand.
Takefusa Kubo and Mikel Oyarzabal should once again start out wide in the centre of the park. Meanwhile, Martin Zubimendi and Mikel Merino will be the central midfielders. With David Silva unlikely to feature in this match, Brais Mendez will be in support of Alexander Sorloth in the attack.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Remiro; Gorosabel, Le Normand, Zubeldia, Munoz; Kubo, Zubimendi, Merino, Oyarzabal; Mendez, Sorloth
Key Stats
- Atletico Madrid have the second-best defence in the league having conceded 30 goals so far.
- Real Sociedad have the third-best defence, they have let in only 32 goals.
- Diego Simeone’s men are the joint second-highest-scoring team in the league with 66 goals.
- The home team are unbeaten against Real Sociedad in the league since September 2019.
- Real Sociedad could secure a top-four finish in La Liga for the first time in 10 years with a win over Atletico Madrid.
Player to Watch
Brais Mendez
With David Silva a doubt for this fixture, Brais Mendez could be called up to fill his big boots. The Spain international has done a decent job throughout the season, he has 17 goal contributions in his 45 matches.
As far as the league is concerned, he has ten goal contributions in 32 outings. The 26-year-old would look to add to his tally when he talks the field against Atletico. While it is not easy to fill the boost of Silva, the former Celta Vigo player has all the tricks in his bag to get the job done.
Prediction
Atletico Madrid 1-2 Real Sociedad
Real Sociedad have been in sensational form of late, they have been unbeaten in their last five matches. They have won four and drawn one out of those five. The visitors are on the brink of history as a win in this fixture will seal their spot in the top four for the first time in 10 years.
Meanwhile, the home team have already secured their spot in the top four. They don’t really have much to play for and have been a touch inconsistent of late. They played out a disappointing 3-3 draw last time out and despite having a lot of quality in their ranks, they might come out short against Sociedad. The Hard Tackle predicts a 2-1 win for the visitors.
