Real Sociedad host RB Leipzig in the second leg of their Europa League knockout round playoff with the tie perfectly poised. Both teams battled to a thrilling draw in the first meeting and look set to produce another high scoring encounter on Thursday.
Real Sociedad put aside their recent struggles to battle to a 2-2 draw in Germany in the first leg of this tie. They led twice through Robin Le Normand and Mikel Oyarzabal but were unable to hold on and were pegged back both times by the Bundesliga side.
The Spaniards were let down by some poor defending in the first leg and that has been a problem in their recent matches. That vulnerable backline was once again on display last Sunday as Imanol Alguacil’s men were beaten 4-0 at Athletic Bilbao in La liga.
One positive for Real Sociedad is they are returning to the Reale Arena where they have suffered just one defeat in their last five matches across all competitions. However, that defeat was a 4-0 hammering at the hands of Real Betis which once again highlighted their shaky backline.
RB Leipzig will be disappointed with their performance in the first leg as they were forced to share the spoils after twice coming from behind. Christopher Nkunku got the first equaliser while Emil Forsberg was also on target from the spot late in the second half.
The Germans made a swift return to winning ways as they claimed an impressive 6-1 victory at Hertha Berlin in the Bundesliga last Sunday with Nkunku netting a brace. That result means Domenico Tedesco’s men have suffered just one defeat in their last eight matches across all competitions.
One of the similarities between Leipzig and Real Sociedad is that the Bundesliga side are also unconvincing at the back. They have kept just one clean sheet in their last six matches across all competitions and have conceded three goals in the last two away fixtures.
How the bookies view it
The bookies are split on this one with a win for Real Sociedad valued at 48/29 by SBK while a Leipzig victory is priced at 7/4 by bet365. William Hill is offering odds of 5/2 for a draw.
Head to head
Last week’s clash was the first ever meeting between Real Sociedad and RB Leipzig.
Players to watch
Mikel Oyarzabal often carries the attacking threat for Real Sociedad and was on target in the first leg. The forward has two goals in his last three matches and is priced at 17/10 by Vbet to get on the score sheet on Thursday.
As always Christopher Nkunku will be the one to watch for Leipzig following his goal in the first leg. The French forward has now scored five goals in his last four matches and is priced at 7/3 by Vbet to score anytime on Thursday.
Anything else catch the eye?
There were over 3.5 goals in the reverse fixture and with both teams often unconvincing at the back, a repeat could be on the cards at 21/10 with BetVictor. Over 2.5 goals could also be considered at odds of 6/7 with SBK.
Both teams were level at the break in the reverse fixture and could be set for a halftime draw on Thursday at 5/4 with Sport Nation.
This UEFA Europa League match between Real Sociedad and RB Leipzig will be played on Feb 24, 2022 and kick off at 17:45. Check below for our tipsters best Real Sociedad vs RB Leipzig prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.
