The Matchday 2 clash in La Liga between Real Sociedad and Espanyol will take place on August 24 at the Anoeta Stadium in San Sebastian. Real Sociedad vs. Espanyol: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Real Sociedad
Sergio Francisco's side began the new season on the road. Playing against Valencia, the San Sebastian team managed a draw (1-1). However, in their last nine La Liga matches, the club has only one win (3 draws and 5 losses). It's worth noting that for three consecutive seasons, the Basques have failed to start La Liga with a win – 2 draws and 1 loss.
- No more than two goals were scored in 5 of Real Sociedad's last 7 league matches.
- The Basques have not scored more than 1 goal in 6 of their last 7 La Liga meetings.
- The team has not lost the first half in 11 of their last 13 home La Liga matches (6 wins and 5 draws).
Predicted lineup for Real Sociedad (4-3-3)
Alejandro Remiro – Aihen Munoz, Jon Aramburu, Igor Zubeldia, Duje Caleta-Car – Beñat Turrientes, Pablo Marin Tejada, Brais Mendez – Ander Barrenetxea, Takefusa Kubo, Mikel Oyarzabal.
Espanyol
The Catalans had an excellent start to their new season. Manolo Gonzalez's side hosted last season's La Liga bronze medalists, Atletico, and defeated them 2-1. During the match, Espanyol was in a trailing position. The team once again proved to be a formidable opponent on their home turf, but they have not won in their last 4 away La Liga games (1 draw and 3 losses).
- Exactly two or three goals were scored in Espanyol's last 4 league matches.
- Espanyol has only 3 wins in their last 20 away La Liga games (4 draws and 13 losses).
- The team has scored in 8 of their last 10 away La Liga matches.
Predicted lineup for Espanyol (4-3-3)
Marko Dmitrovic – Omar El Hilali, Fernando Calero, Carlos Romero, Leandro Cabrera – Ramon Terrats, Edu Exposito, Pol Lozano – Jofre Carreras, Roberto Fernandez Jaen, Javi Puado.
Real Sociedad vs. Espanyol: Match Prediction
The San Sebastian side has a good record against this opponent in the league. The Basques have won the last five head-to-head meetings, each time with a 1-goal margin. Additionally, the last five direct encounters at this stadium in La Liga have ended in victories for the hosts.
Espanyol is strong at home but rarely wins on the road. In the previous season, the Catalans suffered 13 defeats in 19 away matches. Meanwhile, Real Sociedad is also a strong home team, winning 7 of their last 13 La Liga home games. Therefore, considering the above factors, I predict that the hosts will prevail in this encounter.
My prediction: Victory for Real Sociedad
* The starting lineup for each team is based on their previous match in this tournament.
