Real Madrid vs Real Sociedad prediction: SPAIN: LaLiga betting tips on match 2023-09-16 19:00.
Real Madrid matched last season’s perfect four-game start to their La Liga (LL) campaign with a come-from-behind 2-1 win over Getafe in which Joselu bagged his first goal since returning to the club. The hosts still needed an injury-time winner from Jude Bellingham on their return to the newly refurbished BernabĂ©u, leading to even more debate about the lack of a headline striker signing this summer, especially with VinĂcius JĂşnior sidelined through injury.
There’s some good news on that front for Carlo Ancelotti’s squad as Dani Ceballos and Ferland Mendy have returned to training after lengthy lay-offs as Madrid prepare for seven competitive games in the space of 21 days. Although unbeaten in six home league fixtures (W5, D1), Los Blancos have gone three matches since keeping a clean sheet here, something they’ve only managed in one of the last seven home H2Hs against Real Sociedad (W3, D2, L2).
Not since 2017/18 have the visitors scored more goals across their first four league games than they have this term (seven) but five of them came in their last game against Granada (W 5-3)! Prior to their highest scoring LL match since October 2022, they’d drawn their first three league games of the season, perhaps putting down an early marker as one Spain’s hardest teams to beat.
Away matches have generally provided less entertainment but with two wins across their last nine LL road fixtures (D3, L4), that hasn’t necessarily worked to their advantage, although one of those victories came late on at Barcelona last campaign. A first league win here since January 2019 (D2, L2) would certainly be ideal preparation before meeting Inter Milan in the UEFA Champions League in midweek.
Players to watch: Only Radamel Falcao needed fewer games (three) than Madrid’s Bellingham to reach five LL goals this century with the Englishman also netting against Scotland in midweek. Ex-Madridista Takefusa Kubo will seek to get one over his former employers after netting twice for Sociedad before half-time against Granada and assisting twice for Japan against Germany after the break.
Hot stat: Sociedad possessed LL’s best first-half record following matchday four (HT: W3, D1).