The La Liga Matchday 1 encounter between Valencia and Real Sociedad will take place on August 16 at the Mestalla Stadium. Valencia vs. Real Sociedad: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Valencia
Valencia finished last season in 12th place. The team could have achieved much better results and even secured a spot in European competitions if they hadn't struggled in the first half of the championship. After 19 rounds, Valencia had only 2 wins. In the second half of the season, with new coach Carlos Corberan, the team recorded 9 wins, 6 draws, and only 4 losses. It's also worth noting that in the 2024/25 La Liga season, Valencia conceded 54 goals, marking their worst defensive record in the last 8 years. Before the start of the new season, the club played 5 friendlies, winning 2, drawing 1, and losing 2.
This summer, the club sold defenders Cristian Mosquera and Jarek Gasiorewski. Additionally, first-choice goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili and midfielder Enzo Barrenechea returned to their clubs.
- The team has not lost in 11 of their last 13 league matches (6 wins and 5 draws).
- No more than two goals were scored in 6 of Valencia's last 8 La Liga games.
- In their last 10 home games in La Liga, Valencia secured 7 wins (1 draw and 2 losses).
Predicted lineup for Valencia (4-3-3)
Stole Dimitrievski – Cesar Tárrega, José Luis Gayà, Mouctar Diakhaby, Dimitri Foulquier – Javi Guerra, André Almeida, Pepelu – Diego López, Hugo Duro, Sergi Canós.
Real Sociedad
The Basques finished the championship one spot higher, edging out Valencia on tiebreakers. The team fought for a Europa League spot for much of the season but managed only 1 win in the last 8 rounds (2 draws and 5 losses). Notably, during this final stretch, San Sebastián failed to score in 6 matches. It was their weak attacking play (35 goals) that led to an 11th place finish in the league table. In the last La Liga season, only two clubs scored fewer goals than Real Sociedad. The team also struggled in pre-season friendlies, failing to win any of their 4 matches (2 draws and 2 losses).
Since July, the team has been led by new head coach Sergio Francisco, who previously worked with the club's second team. Among the acquisitions, the purchase of forward Gonçalo Guedes is notable. The club also lost their key defensive midfielder, Martín Zubimendi, who transferred to Arsenal.
- The club conceded first in 6 of their last 8 La Liga games.
- Real Sociedad lost 8 of their last 11 away league matches (1 win and 2 draws).
- At least 3 goals were scored in 7 of Real Sociedad's last 9 away La Liga matches.
Predicted lineup for Real Sociedad (4-3-3)
Alejandro Remiro – Amari Traore, Javi López, Igor Zubeldia, Aritz Elustondo – Luka Sučić, Pablo Marín Tejada, Brais Méndez – Ander Barrenetxea, Takefusa Kubo, Mikel Oyarzabal.
Referee:
José María Sánchez Martínez (Spain)
Matches – 19 (La Liga, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 90;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.7;
Red cards shown – 2;
Average fouls per match – 26;
Penalties – 53%.
Prediction for Valencia vs. Real Sociedad
In the upcoming match, I favor the hosts. After a coaching change, Valencia has noticeably improved and narrowly missed out on European competition at the end of the season. Meanwhile, Real Sociedad had a disappointing second half of the championship and continued to struggle in pre-season friendlies after changing their coach this summer.
Valencia's current form is much better. Additionally, in their last 6 home games in La Liga, they have achieved 4 wins and 1 draw, losing only to Athletic. In contrast, Real Sociedad enters Matchday 1 with a 3-game losing streak in La Liga, all without scoring. Furthermore, the Basques consistently face difficulties at Mestalla, having secured only 1 win in their last 8 league visits to this stadium (4 draws and 3 losses).
My prediction – Valencia with a handicap (0)
