Preview: Real Sociedad vs Valencia - prediction, team news, lineups

Sunday’s penultimate LaLiga fixture sees Real Sociedad host Valencia at the Reale Arena, with the hosts desperate to snap a five-match winless streak before the curtain falls on their domestic campaign.

Carlos Corberan’s side arrive two points behind their hosts in 11th and with little left to play for, while Real Sociedad will be eager to give their supporters a positive final home game of the season.

Match preview

Real Sociedad head into Sunday’s encounter on the back of a difficult run of form, having gone five matches without a win across all competitions - a sequence made up of three draws and two defeats.

Their most recent outing saw them draw 1-1 with Girona, with Jon Martin giving them the lead in the 27th minute before the visitors levelled in the 65th minute to deny Pellegrino Matarazzo’s side all three points.

That result continued a frustrating stretch that also included a 2-2 draw with Real Betis, a 1-0 defeat to Sevilla, a 3-3 draw with Rayo Vallecano and a 1-0 loss to Getafe - a run that underlines both their attacking intent and their inability to keep clean sheets at crucial moments.

In LaLiga specifically, Real Sociedad’s record of 11 wins, 12 draws and 13 defeats has yielded 45 points and an eighth-place spot, though they have been noticeably more reliable at home, where they have won eight, drawn five and lost five.

The standout moment of Real Sociedad’s season came in the Copa del Rey final, where they beat Atletico Madrid on penalties to claim their first trophy since winning the same competition in 2020.

That victory also secured a Europa League spot for next season, a significant achievement for a side that missed out on European football entirely this season after finishing 11th last season.

Valencia, meanwhile, have shown greater steadiness in recent outings, their last five results across all competitions producing two wins, two draws and one defeat.

Carlos Corberan’s side sit 11th in the table - two points below their hosts - having accumulated 11 wins, 10 draws and 15 defeats across the season, though their away form remains a concern, with just four wins, four draws and 10 defeats on the road producing 16 points.

The visitors come into Sunday’s game on the back of a 1-1 draw at home to Rayo Vallecano, where they fell behind after 19 minutes but levelled in the 39th minute to claim a point.

The reverse fixture back in August also ended 1-1, with Diego Lopez opening the scoring for Valencia in the 57th minute before Takefusa Kubo equalised for Real Sociedad just three minutes later.

In the last five head-to-head meetings between the two clubs, Real Sociedad have come out on top on three occasions, with one draw and one Valencia win making up the remainder.

Real Sociedad La Liga form:

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Valencia La Liga form:

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Team News

Alvaro Odriozola has been sidelined since February with a cruciate ligament injury and will play no part in the remaining fixtures this season.

Luka Sucic and Mikel Oyarzabal are expected to lead Real Sociedad’s attacking threat, with Takefusa Kubo likely to feature in the midfield.

For Valencia, Jose Copete has been ruled out for the remainder of the season with a meniscus injury sustained in February.

Renzo Saravia was forced off during Thursday’s 1-1 draw against Rayo Vallecano with a potential injury, and his availability for Sunday remains uncertain pending further assessment.

Jose Gaya was also withdrawn in the second half of that same fixture after feeling discomfort, and his fitness is similarly in doubt ahead of the trip to the Reale Arena.

Dimitri Foulquier remains sidelined with a knee injury, further limiting Corberan’s defensive options for the visit to San Sebastian.

Real Sociedad possible starting lineup:

Remiro; Aramburu, Martin, Caleta-Car, Gomez; Kubo, Herrera, Gorrotxatega, Barrenetxea; Sucic, Oyarzabal

Valencia possible starting lineup:

Dimitrievski; Vazquez, Tarrega, Comert, Nunez; Lopez, Rodriguez, Pepelu, Rioja; Duro, Guerra

We say: Real Sociedad 2-1 Valencia

The hosts will be looking to end their five-match winless streak in front of their home fans for the final time this season.

Sunday’s match against a Valencia side that has little left to play for presents an excellent opportunity for Real Sociedad to regain their winning form.

For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.