Two teams that have underwhelmed in La Liga so far this season will lock horns for an intriguing contest on Sunday evening, with Real Sociedad welcoming Real Betis to Anoeta Stadium.
Real Sociedad are currently 10th in the La Liga table, boasting 18 points from their opening 14 matches of the campaign, while Real Betis sit ninth, with the Green and Whites collecting 20 points from their first 14 games.
Match preview
Real Sociedad have been below-par in La Liga this season, with a record of five wins, three draws and six defeats from 14 matches seeing them collect 18 points, which is only enough for 10th spot in the table.
Imanol Alguacil's side were beaten 1-0 by Athletic Bilbao in the Basque derby last weekend, but they have been victorious in three of their last four matches in all competitions, including a 2-0 success over Ajax in the Europa League on Thursday night.
Ander Barrenetxea and Takefusa Kubo scored the goals as Real Sociedad picked up a huge European win, with the result leaving them 16th in the Europa League table, three points off the automatic qualification spots.
Goals have been a problem for La Real this term, only scoring 11 times in their 14 league matches, but they have been solid defensively, conceding just 11 goals, which is the joint-second best defensive record alongside Real Madrid.
Alguacil's side have struggled in front of their own fans this season, picking up just seven points from seven home league fixtures, but Real Betis have only been victorious in one of their seven La Liga games on their travels this term.
Real Betis will enter this match off the back of a 2-1 defeat to Mlada Boleslav in the Conference League, with the result leaving them down in 22nd spot in the overall table, having won just once in the competition this term.
The Green and Whites also lost 4-2 at Valencia in La Liga last weekend, and they are currently on a three-game winless run in Spain's top flight, with their last success coming at home to Atletico Madrid at the end of October.
Manuel Pellegrini's side are ninth in the La Liga table, boasting a record of five wins, five draws and four defeats, while they have both scored and conceded 16 times in their 14 league fixtures.
Real Betis are only actually three points behind fifth-placed Athletic Bilbao, so the picture could change relatively quickly, and the Seville outfit will be expecting to be in the mix for the European spots come the end of the campaign.
The Green and Whites are winless in their last three league matches with Real Sociedad, but the corresponding fixture during the 2023-24 La Liga campaign ended in a goalless draw.
Team News
Real Sociedad will be without the services of three first-team players through injury this weekend, with Aritz Elustondo, Hamari Traore and Orri Oskarsson unavailable for selection.
Barrenetxea came off the bench to score against Ajax in the Europa League on Thursday night, and the Spaniard is now expected to be introduced into the XI on Sunday.
Javi Lopez is also in line to return at left-back for the home team, but Mikel Oyarzabal and Kubo should both retain their spots in the final third of the field, with Sheraldo Becker potentially starting on the bench.
As for Real Betis, Abde Ezzalzouli, Nobel Mendy, Hector Bellerin, Marc Roca, William Carvalho and Johnny Cardoso are unavailable for selection due to injury problems.
Giovani Lo Celso, who is the team's leading goalscorer in the league this season with five, was sent off in the Conference League on Thursday, but the Argentine will be available this weekend and is in line to start once again.
There will be changes to the side that took to the field for the first whistle in Europe, with Rui Silva, Marc Bartra, Youssouf Sabaly and Romain Perraud all set to return to the XI this weekend.
Real Sociedad possible starting lineup:
Remiro; Aramburu, Zubeldia, Aguerd, J Lopez; Kubo, Gomez, Zubimendi, Sucic, Barrenetxea; Oyarzabal
Real Betis possible starting lineup:
Silva; Sabaly, Bartra, Natan, Perraud; Altimira, Guirao; Ruibal, Lo Celso, Avila; Roque
We say: Real Sociedad 2-1 Real Betis
Real Sociedad have only won two of their seven home league matches this season, but Real Betis are just struggling for results at the moment, and we are backing the hosts to navigate their way to a vital victory on Sunday night.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
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