Real Sociedad vs. Villarreal Prediction: Best Bets for La Liga Match
Both Real Sociedad and Villarreal have important stakes in the upcoming match. Imanol Alguacil has ensured that Real Sociedad boasts a strong setup and an exceptional defensive record. Villarreal experienced quite a challenging period with some mixed results, despite a recent win. The upcoming match promises to be a thrilling encounter, with both teams seeking to continue their strong run or regain momentum. Key factors that could influence the outcome and provide valuable football predictions for the game are broken down below.
Real Sociedad
Real Sociedad has been in good form in recent matches. Taking into account all tournaments, the club has won seven out of nine matches, with one draw. But most importantly, the Basques have conceded only one goal in this span! Alguacil's defense is finally working at full capacity, and the opponents have little chance of getting close to Alex Remiro's goal.
The defeat to Athletic in the Basque derby (0:1) was the starting point for the team's rise. The pressing has intensified, with Zubimendi and Sučić shutting down even the slightest attempts by the opponent to start a combination play in the support zone. The only weak link of Real Sociedad is the positional attack. In the last round, Kubo, Mendes, and Oyarzabal pressed the defense of Las Palmas (0:0), but they lacked the zest and creativity needed to break down the opponent's dense defense.
Who will play for Real Sociedad
Alguacil has choices for the starting lineup, as most of the players have returned to full training. Arsen Zakharyan has started training, but the club believes that he will appear on the field in an official match as early as 2025. We assume that the Basque coach will rely on the scheme he has been following in recent games. The team is on track and is unlikely to need adjustments.
Villarreal
Villarreal was only able to break a five-match winless streak in the last round. For a team occupying fifth place, this is an unacceptable result. After all, the visitors are one of the main contenders for the fourth place in the Champions League. However, the Yellow Submarine is currently going through one of its toughest periods in the championship, as the recent opponents have been particularly strong. Osasuna, Girona, Athletic, Betis - none of these teams have been beaten.
Midweek, Villarreal played against Rayo Vallecano, where they lost points. However, a draw was a strong achievement, considering they played with one man down for most of the match and even managed to equalize with ten men. Therefore, there is no point in talking about some kind of decline or crisis, and the visitors are quite capable of winning the upcoming meeting.
Match prediction
On the one hand, Villarreal plays well at home. The team's arsenal includes sweeping flank attacks and a quick exit from defense. The only problem is that this entire structure is unlikely to work against Real Sociedad. The visitors are currently extremely tenacious in defending and their pressing when losing the ball is nearly perfect. Having taken the ball away, the Basques immediately transferred it to the attack line, cutting off most of the opponents. Considering the impressive streak of the visitors, we suggest betting on Real Sociedad to win.
