Real Sociedad vs Real Madrid: Betting Odds & Prediction
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Carlo Ancelotti's Real Madrid travel to Real Sociedad on Friday evening as the away side look to extend their already healthy lead at the summit of La Liga.
Los Blancos now sit eleven points clear of second-placed Barcelona following their last-gasp 3-2 win over the latter on Sunday. Sociedad, meanwhile, have drawn their last two league matches.
Kick-off is set for 8pm UK time at the Anoeta Stadium.
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Real Sociedad
Imanol Alguacil's men head into the match in sixth place, seven points behind Athletic Bilbao who occupy the Europa League qualification place in La Liga. After drawing their last two matches, most recently playing out a 1-1 draw away at Getafe, Sociedad can ill-afford more dropped points if they are to clamber into the division's top five.
Their home form has been ordinary this campaign, with Sociedad having the ninth-best record on home turf after averaging 1.6 points across their 15 outings at the Anoeta Stadium so far. They've suffered only three defeats at home, though two of these have came in their last five matches, making for ominous reading as they prepare to welcome the side with the best away record in the division so far.
Goals haven't been a problem for Alguacil's side, who have averaged an impressive 1.53 goals at home so far. Only 27% of their home fixtures have seen them fail to score, and 40% have seen Sociedad net at least two goals.
Sociedad have conceded slightly more at home compared to in away games; their average of 1.13 at the Anoeta Stadium is higher than the one they've averaged on the road, and 33% of their home matches have seen them keep a clean sheet.
Real Madrid
The away side have now won five matches in a row in La Liga, a run which culminated in their thrilling 3-2 win over rivals Barcelona last weekend. A 91st minute strike by Jude Bellingham saw them move eleven points clear at the top of the table, leaving them in pole position to capture their 36th La Liga title.
Ancelloti's men have been imperious this campaign, but have shown some slight vulnerabilities in recent away games. Two of their last five have ended in a draw, though Madrid have still scored nine goals across those games.
While Los Blancos have scored less in away fixtures than at home, their average of 1.88 scored still makes for a worrying read for defences across Spain and Europe. They've also scored in every single away match they've played this season, which has played a key role in making them La Liga's highest-scoring team (70) this term.
Prediction
Bizarrely, Sociedad come into the match as favourites despite having a mediocre home record and coming up against the division's most dominant side. Backing an away win on the moneyline stands out as one of the more obvious picks of the weekend.