Sports Mole previews the upcoming La Liga match between Real Sociedad and Sevilla, both of whom are aiming for European qualification. Real Sociedad is in ninth place, coming off a 1-1 draw against Manchester United in the Europa League. They have struggled lately, losing five of their last seven league games but have a strong home record. Sevilla, sitting in 12th, has drawn five of their last eight matches and maintained an unbeaten away streak. Despite injuries, both sides will attempt to secure crucial points. The prediction leans towards a 1-1 draw as focus may shift for Real Sociedad.
Sports Mole provides a preview of the upcoming La Liga encounter between Real Sociedad and Sevilla on Sunday, featuring predictions, team news, and potential lineups.
Following their Europa League match against Manchester United on Thursday, Real Sociedad will shift their focus back to La Liga as they host Sevilla this Sunday.
The home side enters the weekend sitting in ninth place in the table, while the visitors trail closely behind in 12th, just one point adrift.
Match Preview
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Real Sociedad will have mixed emotions about their Europa League match against Manchester United, having managed to secure a draw in the first leg of their last-16 tie but missing the chance to take full advantage of playing at home.
Joshua Zirkzee put Manchester United ahead in the 57th minute, but Mikel Oyarzabal equalized from the penalty spot after Bruno Fernandes was penalized for handball. Despite opportunities for Brais Mendez and Orri Oskarsson to clinch a win, the match ended 1-1, leaving the tie delicately poised for the return leg at Old Trafford next Thursday.
Before heading to the North West of England, La Real will concentrate on their aim of securing European football for the next season, with the ninth-placed side trailing four points behind the top six in La Liga.
Although there might be potential openings for more European slots, Real Sociedad is eager to finish as high as possible, especially since they have consistently finished in the top six for the past five seasons.
Imanol Alguacil is anxious to see his team improve after a poor streak that has seen them lose five of their last seven league games, including a heavy 4-0 loss in last weekend’s away match against Barcelona, where they played the majority of the game with only 10 men due to Aritz Elustondo‘s red card in the 17th minute.
However, they can take some confidence from their recent home performance at Reale Arena, having won three of their last four home league outings (L1).
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Despite being in the lower half of the table, Sevilla will strive to push for European qualification, with five points separating them from their rivals Real Betis, who sit in sixth place.
Though they have suffered just one defeat in their last eight matches, Sevilla may feel frustrated as five of those encounters have ended in draws, including their last two results against Mallorca and Rayo Vallecano.
They conceded a last-minute equalizer against Mallorca at home, before encountering a similar outcome in last Saturday’s fixture at Vallecas.
In reality, Sevilla was fortunate to earn a point in that match, with Dodi Lukebakio scoring an equalizer in the 81st minute to negate Andrei Ratiu‘s opening goal, which extended their unbeaten run away from home in La Liga to four matches (W2, D2), as they haven’t lost an away game since a 4-2 defeat to Real Madrid in December.
However, extending that away streak may prove challenging, especially as they have lost four of their last five encounters against Real Sociedad, including back-to-back 2-1 defeats during their last visits to the Reale Arena.
These two defeats have worsened Sevilla’s winless record in away matches against Real Sociedad to three, as they have not claimed an away victory since a 2-1 win in April 2021, with goals from Fernando and Youssef En-Nesyri.
Real Sociedad La Liga form:
Real Sociedad form (all competitions):
Sevilla La Liga form:
Team News
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The hosts will likely be without Jon Pacheco, Alvaro Odriozola, and Arsen Zakharyan, while midfielder Martin Zubimendi is a doubt after missing the match against Manchester United due to illness.
Elustondo will be suspended for one match following his red card against Barcelona last weekend.
Jon Aramburu is set to fill in for Elustondo in the defense, and Alguacil may implement additional changes to refresh his squad, with Javi Lopez, Jon Ander Olasagasti, Pablo Marin, Sergio Gomez, Sheraldo Becker, and Oskarsson all in contention to start against Sevilla.
Defender Nayef Aguerd and forward Oyarzabal should be available for selection despite experiencing discomfort during Thursday’s match.
On the other hand, Sevilla manager Garcia Pimienta will continue to deal with the absence of injured players Tanguy Nianzou, Nemanja Gudelj, and Akor Adams.
Arsenal loanee Albert Sambi Lokonga is expected to be included in the matchday squad after returning to training following a four-match injury layoff.
Unlike their hosts, Sevilla has had a full week to prepare for Sunday’s match, and with a well-rested squad, Pimienta may choose to retain the same lineup for the third consecutive game.
Lukebakio remains a key attacking option for Sevilla, having netted 11 goals in 26 La Liga appearances this season.
Real Sociedad possible starting lineup:
Remiro; Aramburu, Zubeldia, Aguerd, Lopez; Olasagasti, Turrientes, Marin; Becker, Gomez, Oskarsson
Sevilla possible starting lineup:
Nyland; Carmona, Bade, Salas, Pedrosa; Juanlu, Sow, Saul; Lukebakio, Vargas, Romero
We say: Real Sociedad 1-1 Sevilla
Real Sociedad will strive to keep their focus on the upcoming match without diverting attention to Thursday’s Europa League clash at Old Trafford, but there’s a chance they could be distracted, and this balancing act might impact their ability to secure all three points.
In the end, we believe Sevilla will manage to earn a draw, particularly since they have witnessed five of their last eight matches ending in stalemate.
For in-depth data analysis of possible outcomes, scorelines, and more for this match, please click here.