La Liga: Real Sociedad Might Put Valencia Out of Their Misery

Valencia vs Real Sociedad

Two teams that are on opposite sides of the La Liga table are set to square off when Valencia host Real Sociedad at the Mestalla on Saturday.

Real Sociedad are currently third in the standings with 43 points, while Valencia are in danger of being relegated at the end of this term since they’re in 19^th with 20 points.

La Real are fresh from a 1-1 draw against Celta Vigo on Saturday, while Los Che are on a five-game losing streak.

Despite their gap in the standings, the pre-match SBOTOP betting odds predict that we’re going to see another tight contest.

So, the third-placed visitors cannot be complacent, especially since they’re looking to hold on to a Champions League spot. On the other hand, the hosts are merely fighting for survival at this point.

Talking Points

Valencia in a precipitous decline

Since the sacking of Gennaro Gattuso, nothing much has changed for Valencia, as instability is still the main theme of their 2022-23 campaign.

Valencia has dropped all four of their league games since Gattuso left, going down 6-1 on aggregate against Real Madrid, Girona, Athletic Bilbao, and Getafe. Other than Villarreal, they are the only team without a victory this month.

If the bad La Liga 2023 results continue for Los Che, then they are almost guaranteed to be relegated after this term. They haven’t played outside of La Liga since the 1986-87 campaign, so there must be a huge sense of urgency from them to stay in the Spanish top-flight.

After accepting this position as a coach, Ruben Baraja is dealt a horrible hand, but he does have certain tools at his disposal to pull off a miracle and save the team from the humiliation of relegation.

Edinson Cavani, Justin Kluivert, and Samu Castillejo are the team’s leading scorers, as they’ve accounted for 11 goals so far this term. They must regain their rhythm in the final third if Valencia are to move up the table.

Castillejo was the last player to score for Valencia, as he found the back of the net in their 2-1 loss to Athletic Bilbao when he gave them the lead in the first half.

Real Sociedad coping well with injuries

Real Sociedad are no longer in contention for this year’s La Liga title, but they will be content if they manage to finish third since it means Champions League football for them next season.

Like most teams in Europe, Real Sociedad have been hit with key injuries to the likes of David Silva and Aritz Elustondo, but they’ve been doing well since the others have been stepping up.

The return of Mikel Oyarzabal has been a huge boost for them since he was their best player last term. Since his comeback last month, the winger has notched two goals and one assist.

Real Sociedad would want to sign Alexander Sorloth permanently, as he became their first double-digit goal scorer this term with 11 already, while Brais Mendez is right behind him with nine goals and four assists.

History

Real Sociedad have only lost two of their last 11 visits to the Mestalla in La Liga (W5, D4) after losing eight of their previous 11 away games against them in the competition (D3). However, Valencia have lost just one of their last 11 games against Real Sociedad in La Liga (W4, D6).

Since the start of the 2018-19 campaign, Valencia have drawn more games against Real Sociedad than any other opponent in the Spanish top-flight (D6).

One of them was their previous encounter in November, which ended in a 1-1 draw as Los Che’s Samuel Lino made up for Hugo Guillamon’s own goal early in the first half. La Real were reduced to 10 men when Aritz Elustondo was sent off, but they managed to hold on for the point.

Betting Tip

Real Sociedad are favoured by the La Liga 2023 odds against Valencia, but their margin for error is not that big. La Real are priced to win at 2.42, while Los Che aren’t far behind at 2.69, and a draw is pegged at 3.20 in the 1X2 market.

Valencia are under enormous pressure to deliver at home since time is running out, while Real Sociedad can afford to play carefree, although they cannot let their guard down.

Just like in their previous meetings, this match is going to be competitive, and we might have yet another low-scoring affair. So, going for Under 2.50 at 1.60 seems like the safest bet.

 

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