Real Sociedad vs. Real Oviedo – News and Probable Lineups

Real Sociedad will be looking to recover from their recent loss as they face bottom-placed Real Oviedo on Saturday in their La Liga campaign.

The hosts currently sit in eighth place in the La Liga standings, four points shy of sixth-place Espanyol, while Oviedo finds themselves at 20th position, nine points adrift from the safe zone at 17th.

Match overview

Last weekend, Real Sociedad approached their league match against Real Madrid with an impressive 11-match unbeaten streak across all competitions, but they suffered a heavy 4-1 defeat at the Bernabeu against the league leaders.

The Basque team is currently in eighth place, four points behind sixth-place Espanyol, but they are also just two points ahead of Girona, who are in 12th place.

Pellegrino Matarazzo’s squad has amassed 20 points from their 12 home league encounters this season and will be hosting an Oviedo side that has only accrued five points from their 11 La Liga away matches.

Earlier this season, Real Sociedad experienced a 1-0 defeat against Oviedo in their previous encounter, although La Real secured a 3-0 win when the two clubs last faced off in La Liga at the Basque home ground in April 2001.

Matarazzo’s side is certainly in contention for a top-six finish as the season progresses, and dropping points here would be a significant blow.

Interestingly, Oviedo has the upper hand in their overall head-to-head record, having secured 26 victories compared to Real Sociedad’s 24, with 21 of their 71 encounters ending in a draw.

As previously mentioned, Oviedo secured a 1-0 triumph in their prior matchup this season, but they haven’t achieved a victory against Real Sociedad away from home since January 1976.

The visiting side will come into the match following a 2-1 loss at home to Athletic Bilbao, with three defeats in their last four league games leaving them stranded at the bottom of the table during a crucial juncture of the season.

Guillermo Almada’s squad has tallied three wins, seven draws, and 13 losses from their 23 league matches this term, putting them on 16 points in 20th place, nine points behind 17th-placed Rayo Vallecano, with 15 fixtures remaining.

Oviedo’s primary struggle this season has been their inability to score, netting just 13 times in their 23 games, marking the poorest attacking performance in the league.

Real Sociedad La Liga form:

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Real Sociedad form (all competitions):

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Real Oviedo La Liga form:

DRAWING

Team News

Real Sociedad will definitely miss Inaki Ruperez and Takefusa Kubo due to injury issues, while Luka Sucic and Ander Barrenetxea are both doubtful.

On a positive note, Brais Mendez is back in contention after serving a suspension.

Mikel Oyarzabal has emerged as Real Sociedad’s key offensive player this season, and the Spain international is expected to play a significant role in the attack, with Goncalo Guedes also likely to secure a place in the lineup after starting on the bench against Real Madrid.

For Oviedo, David Costas remains out due to injury, while Ovie Ejaria will undergo a late fitness check.

The visiting team will also be without Santiago Colombatto, who received a crucial yellow card in the narrow loss to Athletic last time out.

Eric Bailly was a standout performer in their last match and is anticipated to maintain his position in central defence, while Nicolas Fonseca could potentially fill the void left by Colombatto in central midfield.

Real Sociedad probable starting XI:

Remiro; Aramburu, Martin, Caleta-Car, Gomez; Gorrotxategi, Turrientes; Guedes, Soler, Marin; Oyarzabal

Real Oviedo probable starting XI:

Scandal; Vidal, Carmo, Bailly, Lopez; Fonseca, Sibo; Hassan, Reina, Chaira; Wines

Despite their ongoing struggles, Oviedo has the potential to make this a challenging fixture for Real Sociedad, and while we expect a closely contested match, the home side should be able to secure a crucial three points.