The Matchday 23 La Liga clash between Real Sociedad and Elche will take place on 7 February at Anoeta in San Sebastian. Real Sociedad vs Elche: prediction, betting odds and statistics.
Real Sociedad
In the previous round, the club were just minutes away from victory in the Basque derby against Athletic Club (1:1). Real Sociedad dropped two points, but their unbeaten run in La Liga now stands at six matches (three wins, three draws). The team have not put together such a long stretch without defeat in this competition for more than two years. The Basques sit eighth in the standings, and they are six points away from both the European places and 18th spot. It is worth noting that Real Sociedad have failed to keep a clean sheet in 16 consecutive La Liga matches, but they have also scored at least once in 14 of those 16 games.
- The club’s scoring run in the Spanish league has reached seven matches.
- The Basques have conceded no more than one goal in six consecutive matches in this competition.
- Both teams have scored in Real Sociedad’s last seven home matches in La Liga.
Potential Real Sociedad Lineup (4-4-2)*
Alejandro Remiro – Igor Zubeldia, Jon Martin, Jon Aramburu, Sergio Gomez – Jon Gorrotxategi, Goncalo Guedes, Carlos Soler, Pablo Marin – Luka Sucic, Mikel Oyarzabal.
Midfielder Brais Mendez is suspended. Due to fitness issues, midfielder Takefusa Kubo and goalkeeper Unai Marrero will not be ready for the game. The involvement of midfielders Ander Barrenetxea and Arsen Zakharyan is in doubt.
Elche
The team are winless in five straight La Liga matches (two draws, three defeats), but their problems have, in general, been dragging on for several months. Across the last 15 league rounds, Elche have recorded just two wins and collected 11 points, with only Oviedo (10) performing worse over that spell. After last Saturday’s home defeat to Barcelona, the club dropped to 13th in the table, and the gap to the relegation zone has been cut to two points. It is also worth noting that the team’s scoring run in La Liga has reached eight games, while in their previous five matches Elche have not kept a single clean sheet.
- The club have won with a (+1.5) handicap in eight of their last 11 La Liga matches.
- The team have scored no more than one goal in seven of their previous eight away games in this competition.
- Elche have conceded in 10 consecutive away matches in the Spanish league.
Potential Elche Lineup (3-5-2)*
Inaki Pena – David Affengruber, John Donald, Victor Chust – German Valera, Adria Pedrosa, Rodrigo Mendoza, Grady Diangana, Marc Aguado – Alvaro Rodriguez, Andre Silva.
Midfielder Aleix Febas has served his suspension. Defender Hector Fort is unavailable due to injury. The involvement of midfielder Josan and forward Rafa Mir is in doubt.
Referee
Jose Guzman Mansilla (Spain)
Matches – 10 (La Liga, 2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 44;
Yellow cards per match – 4.4;
Red cards shown – 2;
Fouls per match – 26;
Penalties – 10%.
Real Sociedad vs Elche: Match Prediction
Since changing head coach, Real Sociedad have hit very solid form. Although the club’s winning run in the league ended last weekend, they were only a few minutes away from winning their fourth straight La Liga match in the away derby against Athletic Club. Now the team will welcome one of their most comfortable opponents. The Basques have not lost in seven head-to-head meetings with Elche in La Liga, and six of those seven matches ended in victories.
Elche remain far from optimal condition. The team win extremely rarely, and at the end of January they suffered back-to-back La Liga defeats for only the second time this season. Away matches regularly prove a tough test, and over the course of the current league campaign the club have not won any of their last 10 matches in this competition. Moreover, across their last seven La Liga away games, Elche have suffered six defeats and recorded only one draw.
Prediction: Real Sociedad to win
* For each team, the starting XI from their previous match in this competition is listed.
