Real Madrid – Real Sociedad

Both teams will score in Madrid.

Real Madrid in the current season is either going through a period of an escalating crisis or a period of development. The question of exactly which it is will probably become clear closer to the end of the season. After firing Xabi Alonso, the club's management appointed Álvaro Arbeloa in his place. However, he had not yet even stepped over the threshold of the coaching staff when the press began to look for a replacement. Fortunately, Real Madrid's play and results support Arbeloa being regarded as a temporary measure until a proven and charismatic coach arrives. The capital club has painfully crashed out of the Copa del Rey and has fallen behind last season in the Champions League, but in La Liga the Galácticos have not yet lost anything. Real Sociedad's results have split the 2025/2026 season into two halves. By mid-December, under the leadership of Sergio Francisco, the Basques looked like a shadow of their own best days. After the coach was dismissed and Pellegrino Matarazzo was appointed in the latter part of December, Real Sociedad transformed and crept up the table. The apex of the team's progress from San Sebastián was the victory over Barcelona, which demonstrated that there is a capable squad in this city that only needed to find its rhythm. Bookmakers made the home side the favorites for the upcoming match, offering odds of 1.35 on their victory. If you look superficially at Real Madrid's latest results in the league, its fans should be proud of their favorites. Only if you look into the details, seven straight wins by the royal club look like a rather taut run. Probably the only thing the team can truly boast about in the last couple of months is the drubbing of Betis. In February the Galácticos needed two red cards in Rayo Vallecano's lineup and a penalty in the 100th minute to beat such a modest opponent. The subsequent win over Valencia was recorded with the Madrid side's xG below 1.0. Real Sociedad has yet to lose under Matarazzo and has reached the Copa del Rey semi-final. The mood in the visitors' camp is upbeat, which should help them display solid productive football in Madrid.