2nd-placed Real Madrid will look to ensure they do not drop any more points when they hit the road to face Real Sociedad.
Real Sociedad will look to secure their second win of the 2024/25 season when they host heavyweights Real Madrid on Saturday night at San Sebastian.
The home team have only won one out of their first four league games. They have been winless in their last two outings having suffered a 2-1 defeat at the hands of Deportivo Alaves before playing out a 0-0 draw against Getafe in their last outing.
Real Sociedad are going to find it quite difficult against Los Blancos after having struggled last time out. They failed to register a shot on target against Getafe, which makes it quite clear that they will have to turn things around to stand a chance against Carlo Ancelotti’s team.
Defending champions Real Madrid added Kylian Mbappe to their squad this summer. They have one of the best squads in the world but it has not clicked for them yet. While the reigning champions are unbeaten, they have dropped four points so far and can’t afford more slip-ups.
After playing out a 1-1 draw against Las Palmas, they bounced back with a 2-0 win against Real Betis before the break and will now look to build on it against Real Sociedad. The Hard Tackle takes a closer look at both teams and predicts the tactics they could put to use.
Team News & Tactics
Real Sociedad
The home team will most likely be without their skipper Mikel Oyarzabal, who picked up an injury during the international break. Hamari Traore is all set to be on the sidelines for a while with an anterior cruciate ligament injury. Meanwhile, Brais Mendez and Arsen Zakharyan are out injured.
But Real Sociedad do have a boost as Alvaro Odriozola and Ander Barrenetxea are back fit and expected to be a part of their squad for the game against Real Madrid. La Real will lineup in a 4-3-3 formation where Alex Remiro will be in goal. Jon Aramburu and Javi Lopez will be the full-backs for them, while Igor Zubeldia and Jon Pacheco will feature in the heart of the defence.
Martín Zubimendi will be the defensive midfielder for Real Sociedad, while Benat Turrientes and Sergio Gómez will be there in his support. The highly sought-after Takefusa Kubo will feature on the right flank, while summer signing Orri Oskarsson will take charge on the left flank. Sheraldo Becker will spearhead the attack for the home team.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Remiro; Aramburu, Zubeldia, Pacheco, Lopez; Turrientes, Zubimendi, Gomez; Kubo, Becker, Oskarsson
Real Madrid
David Alaba, Dani Ceballos, and Eduardo Camavinga remain sidelined with injuries. But, Real Madrid have a massive boost ahead of the game against Real Sociedad as Jude Bellingham and Aurelien Tchouameni have resumed full training. But, they might not be risked from the start.
Carlo Ancelotti will stick to the 4-2-3-1 formation, where Thibaut Courtois will be in goal. Dani Carvajal and Ferland Mendy will take charge as the full-backs, while Eder Militao and Antonio Rudiger should feature in the heart of the defence.
In the centre of the park, Federico Valverde will form a double pivot with the support of veteran playmaker Luka Modric. The duo will not only shield the backline but will also look to ensure they dictate the tempo of the game.
Rodrygo and Vinicius Junior will take charge on the flanks for the visitors, while wonderkid Arda Guler will take charge in the number ten role from the start with Bellingham expected to make a cameo appearance off the bench. Kylian Mbappe should continue to lead the line for Real Madrid against Real Sociedad.
Probable Lineup (4-2-3-1): Courtois; Carvajal, Militao, Rudiger, Mendy; Valverde, Modric; Rodrygo, Guler, Vinicius; Mbappe
Key Stats
- Real Madrid have won 28 out of the last 46 matches against Real Sociedad, who have only nine wins to their name.
- The home team have been unbeaten in four of their last eight matches against Los Blancos.
- Real Madrid have only suffered three out of their last 17 away trips to the San Sebastian.
- Carlo Ancelotti’s team have won each of their last three away matches against the Basque team in La Liga.
- Real Sociedad have had a poor start to the new season with one win in four matches while Los Blancos are unbeaten so far.
Player to Watch
Rodrygo
Rodrygo was not pleased to be left out of the Ballon d’Or nominees despite having a sensational campaign with Real Madrid last season. He has had a slow start to the new season with two goal contributions in five outings, and the 23-year-old would want to make a statement with a top-quality performance on Saturday night.
Prediction
Real Sociedad 1-3 Real Madrid
While Los Blancos have not been at their best since the start of the new season, they have done most things right and are expected to put up a strong performance against a Real Sociedad team that have struggled to get going in the initial phase of the new season. The Hard Tackle predicts a 3-1 win for the away team.