Real Madrid v Real Sociedad – Betting Preview
Real Madrid Summary
Real Madrid bounced back from a couple of disappointing performances and results in the last ten days or so, and the mood has been greatly lifted at the club ahead of a testing contest against Real Sociedad.
Should the second-placed side get a win over the high-flying Basque side then it will cap an important turning point perhaps in the season, which was on the ropes a little after the league loss in Villarreal.
Two important Copa del Rey victories over Villarreal and rivals Atletico midweek were sandwiched by an impressive win over Athletic in the Basque country.
The Cup was not extremely high on the agenda but they are keen to push Barcelona on all fronts. This league match is a must-win to keep pace with Barcelona who edged a win in Girona on Saturday.
Ancelotti will match Sociedad here and use more of a 4-2-3-1 than a 4-3-3 formation. The squad is missing Mendy and David Alaba, the former suffered a knock in the 3-1 win over Atletico on Thursday.
Dani Carvajal, Aurélien Tchouaméni, and Lucas Vásquez all remain out too.
Real Sociedad Summary
Real Sociedad is enjoying a fantastic season so far and the loss to Barcelona in the cup hasn’t damaged their confidence or mood. This is the case, particularly considering they lost only 1-0 despite playing with a man less for over a half.
Imanol Alguacil has a few injury concerns heading into this extremely difficult league encounter in the Spanish capital.
On top of the numerous longer-term absences detailed below, they are also still without playmaker David Silva who pulled out of training early in the week. There had been hoping he is cleared for a return here but that is not the case as he was left out of the trip south.
The club did expect Ander Barrenetxea to have a chance but the important winger remains out.
Mikel Merino, Ali Cho, Gorosabel, Sola, and Pacheco remain out along with potential season-ending injuries to Carlos Fernández, Umar Sadiq, and Merquelanz.
Betting Analysis
Looking at the 1×2 market first. Real Sociedad is very well respected, perhaps too much as Madrid @ 1.74 to win holds some appeal. They respect the Basques which means a strong line-up and disciplined approach are expected. Real Sociedad is @ 4.85 and the draw @ 3.95.
Moving onto the Asian handicap market for this contest. Real Madrid is giving a -0.75 start to Sociedad which means any Madrid win pays out a profit. If their win is by two, then it is a full profit @ 1.91. Just a single goal would be a half-profit win. Real Sociedad is in sensational form even taking their cup loss into account, but in my view, they look flattered by the handicap of +0.75 @ 1.91, particularly with fatigue build-up and negative team news.
Looking at The Under/Over goal line last of all, which is set at 2.5. Both teams played midweek and so aren’t fresh, there is also a good chance of a tight opening period as they settle. There is mutual respect here and risks will only be taken after the first goal no matter where it lands. Over 2.5 is @ 1.93 and Under 2.5 is also @ 1.93. Would expect Madrid to win a decent game and it goes over on goals.
