Real Sociedad vs Osasuna prediction: SPAIN: LaLiga betting tips on match 2024-02-09 15:15.
Just days after he shot down rumoured links with the soon-to-be vacant Barcelona managerial job, Real Sociedad head coach Imanol Alguacil has to sort out some issues at his current club. Their 0-0 draw at Girona last weekend means that they’ve defeated only Celta Vigo (1-0 away) across their last seven La Liga matches (W1, D5, L1), a run of unwanted form which has in turn seen them lose ground on the top five.
Their current grip on the final European placing in the standings is also seemingly loosening, thanks in part to some lacklustre showings at home. In their last three home games, they’ve shared the points with clubs ranked beneath them in the standings (0-0 Betis, 1-1 Alavés, 0-0 Vallecano), which offers no assurances that they can improve upon their 1-1 draw away to upcoming opponents Osasuna from early December.
Osasuna themselves are falling further away from the top half of the table after being thrashed at home by relegation contenders Celta Vigo (L 3-0), a game in which head coach Jagoba Arrasate conceded that they were tactically outsmarted by veteran Celta boss Rafael BenĂtez. Consecutive La Liga losses will no doubt be disheartening, but it’s worth noting that they were able to avoid a third straight league defeat on each of their last such nine occasions (since 2021/22).
The Reds would certainly much rather be at home where they’ve earned each of their last four La Liga wins, than back on the road where they’ve taken just two points from their last seven away league games (D2, L5). Not only is their away form uninspiring, but there’s an even longer drought hanging over their shoulders as Osasuna haven’t defeated Sociedad in any competition since May 2012 (D6, L11), including 11 matches under current coach Jagoba Arrasate (D3, L8)!
Players to watch: Sociedad won each of their last nine La Liga matches in which Brais Méndez scored, including this corresponding fixture in 2022/23. Osasuna’s Moi Gómez comes into this match with a valuable 19 games of experience against Sociedad, including a goal in the reverse H2H.
Hot streak: The last eight La Liga H2Hs all produced under 2.5 total goals.