Real Sociedad will be looking to build on their opening-day draw against Deportivo La Coruna in their La Liga showdown with Sporting Gijon on Saturday.
David Moyes's men played out a goalless draw at the Estadio Riazor, while Gijon defied Real Madrid to earn a point in their opener last week.
Real Sociedad
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Moyes enjoyed a solid first season in Spain as he guided Sociedad to a mid-table finish following their struggles earlier in the campaign.
The Scot brought much-needed stability to the club and took the scalp of Barcelona in a 1-0 victory to improve his reputation in La Liga following his difficult tenure at Manchester United.
Sociedad got off to promising start for the new campaign as they were resolute at the back and managed to get off the mark in the campaign at the Estadio Riazor.
Moyes's men were middle of the park in front of goal last season as Carlos Vela led the way with 11 strikes. The club have moved to bolster their prowess in front of the net by re-signing Asier Illarramendi from Real Madrid in a £12m deal.
Real's home form improved significantly last season as they took 32 points from their 19 matches, which was one of the main factors keeping them out of the relegation scrap. Moyes will be determined to ensure that his side can maintain their impressive form at the Anoeta Stadium this term.
Socieded conceded 51 goals in the last campaign, and the Scot will have outlined his desire to see them become a lot stronger at the back, especially in front of their supporters this season.
Recent form: D
Sporting Gijon
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Gijon proved to be a resilient team last season when they earned promotion to La Liga with their second-place finish in Segunda Division.
Abelardo Fernandez's men lost just two games out of 42 matches in their promotion campaign, winning 21 and drawing 19 of their games.
Sporting displayed their resilience to hold Real Madrid to a goalless draw in their opener at the El Molinon, thwarting the best efforts of Cristiano Ronaldo and Gareth Bale.
Gijon will need to continue to perform to that high level to remain in the division this season, and also be able to pick up points when they can on the road.
Fernandez's side lost just once on the road last season and they will be determined to maintain their form into the new season, albeit against stronger opposition.
Gijon built their promotion campaign around their performances at the back as they conceded just 27 goals in their 42 matches. Their clean sheet against Real will give them plenty of confidence that they can repeat their success in La Liga in the new campaign.
Recent form: D
Team News
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Illarramendi could make his debut for Moyes's men after completing his move to the club and may feature in the heart of the midfield to bolster their attacking options.
Carlos Martinez and Raul Navas are ruled out of the match due to injuries, leaving Moyes likely to make minimal changes to the team that played against Deportivo.
Fernandez will also be tempted to name an unchanged team following his side's goalless draw with Rafael Benitez's men last week.
New loan signings Omar Mascarell and Alen Halilovic could push for starting berths after joining the club, while Alex Barrera and Hugo Fraile are ruled out of the match.
Real Sociedad possible starting lineup:
Rulli; Joseba, Reyes, Inigo Martinez, De La Bella; Xabi Prieto, Ruben Pardo, Bergara, Bruma, Jonathas, Vela
Sporting Gijon possible starting lineup:
Cuellar; Lora, Luis Hernandez, Espinosa, Isma Lopes; Carmona, Alvarez, Cases, Jony; Guerrero, Sanabria
Head To Head
Sociedad recorded a 5-1 victory over Gijon in their last meeting in January 2012 at Anoeta Stadium, while they also won the reverse fixture earlier in the campaign.
Txuriurdin have won their last six matches on the spin against Gijon dating back to 1997.
Over the course of history, Real have won eight of the 14 contests between the sides compared to Gijon's two, while four of the matches have ended in draws.
We say: Real Sociedad 1-0 Sporting Gijon
Moyes's men had a strong start to the campaign and will be determined to get off to a winning start at Anoeta Stadium. The exertions of Gijon's draw against Madrid last week may just allow Sociedad to have the edge in the fixture.
Simon Sinclair
