The Basques are counting on home advantage: Real Sociedad vs Deportivo prediction
The eighth-round La Liga clash between Real Sociedad and Deportivo will take place on Sunday at the Anoeta Stadium in San Sebastian. Both teams have collected 10 points from seven matches: the hosts sit eighth, while newly promoted Deportivo are one place higher.
Real Sociedad: victory in Valencia should boost confidence
Pellegrino Matarazzo’s side have made an inconsistent start to the season, alternating impressive performances with painful defeats. Before the international break, the Basques beat Valencia 3-2 thanks to a late goal from Ander Barrenetxea, but before that they suffered a 3-0 home defeat to Atletico Madrid and lost 2-1 to Bournemouth in the Europa League.
The absence of suspended Orri Oskarsson, along with the injured Alvaro Odriozola and Jon Aramburu, will be an additional problem. At the same time, Mikel Oyarzabal remains the key figure in attack: he has yet to score in the league but has already provided two assists.
Deportivo: the newcomers have quickly adapted to the top flight
Antonio Hidalgo’s team have looked confident since returning to La Liga. Deportivo have lost just once in seven rounds, picking up two wins and drawing four matches, allowing the club to remain in the top half of the table.
Their 3-2 away win over Villarreal in early September was particularly memorable. Before the break, Deportivo drew 1-1 with Betis, but the team are now dealing with personnel problems: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Marc Casado and Zakaria Eddahchouri will miss the match.
Match facts and head-to-head record
- Real Sociedad have won their last three La Liga matches against Deportivo.
- The teams’ last league meeting ended in a 5-0 victory for the Basques in February 2018.
- Deportivo have lost just one of their first seven matches since returning to La Liga.
The hosts can snatch victory in a closely fought game: Real Sociedad vs Deportivo prediction
Deportivo have already shown that they can compete with strong opponents and are not afraid to play boldly away from home. The Basques should therefore expect anything but an easy encounter, especially given their inconsistency and personnel losses.
Nevertheless, the Anoeta factor, greater individual quality and a positive recent head-to-head record give Real Sociedad a slight edge. In an even match, the hosts could decide the outcome with one additional moment of quality.
