Real Madrid continue their confirmation charge for the La Liga title as they visit Real Sociedad on Friday, afforded an early match on the weekend to give them time to prepare for next week’s European challenge.
With their Champions League lives still intact in the semifinals, Los Blancos have been afforded special treatment from La Liga, given a Friday league kickoff to secure extra rest before their UCL first leg the coming week.
Following their come-from-behind El Clasico win last time out, Madrid sit 11 points clear at the top of the table with eight games remaining, meaning they cannot quite confirm the crown just yet, but there’s a feeling of inevitability to the race.
Once considered genuine contenders for a top-four place in the league, Real Sociedad dropped out of the running thanks to a stretch of just three wins from the start of December to the end of February, but they have since recovered and are unbeaten in their last five. They remain in the hunt for a European spot, sitting sixth, but they are seven points adrift of Athletic Club in fifth and 10 back of Atletico Madrid in fourth.
USA: Click here to see the latest odds for Real Madrid vs Real Sociedad and bet La Liga matches
It’s clear the betting market expects Real Sociedad to compete hard in this match, as they have nearly identical moneyline odds coming into the weekend game. They are on a mini run in league play and should push Madrid for a result, but the truth is the visitors still possess the better side.
Likely, the market expects Carlo Ancelotti to rest a number of key players with a European semifinal on the horizon, with the under heavily weighted, an increasingly rare occurrence in today’s betting landscape.
Even if that happens, however, Real Madrid’s role players have all contributed significantly this season. La Real know this all too well, as the reverse fixture from the Bernabeu earlier this season featured goals from Joselu and Fede Valverde, with Fran Garcia assisting on both. Expect more of the same, which presents an opportunity to take one of the best sides in Europe at significant plus odds.
Real Sociedad have managed to scrap together goals against inferior clubs in recent weeks, but they’ve been doing so without their main contributors in any kind of form. Since the start of March, their three main attacking threats, Takefusa Kubo, Mikel Oyarazabl, and Mikel Merino have produced a combined two goals and zero assists. Kubo in particular has been extremely poor since returning from Asian Cup duty, losing his starting place completely.
With Brais Mendez out injured through the next few weeks, there’s little for La Real to lean on up front.
Real Sociedad have one of the better defensive records in the league this season, but a little bit of that has been fools gold, and Real Madrid are capable of whittling down the opponent to great effect. The last time these two teams met, Madrid failed to score before the break but should have, putting together 1.18 xG and missing two “big chances,” but made good on that almost immediately out of halftime and cruised from there.
Madrid have scored in both halves of four of their last five league games, including against defensively stout Athletic Club. Expect them to breach this La Real back line which boasts the third-best goals conceded record in the league, but thanks to a significant differential from their xGA.
In the United States, this Friday La Liga match will be televised in Spanish on ESPN Deportes, which is available to stream on Fubo. An English-language broadcast is available to stream on ESPN+, where every single game of the La Liga season can be found.
In Canada, the match will be streamed exclusively on TSN+, while in the UK the match will be broadcast on ITV 4 as well as Premier Sports 2, formerly known as Viaplay.
