After seeing off rivals Atletico Madrid in the Copa Del Rey, Real Madrid return to La Liga action and their pursuit of leaders Barcelona. They host in-form Real Sociedad on Sunday and will be banking on their recent record in this fixture to give them the edge.
It has not been a straightforward title defence for Real Madrid who are currently second on the table, three points behind Barcelona.
Barring a few slipups, Real Madrid have been largely consistent and head into Sunday’s clash off the back of three straight wins. They claimed a 2-0 victory at Athletic Bilbao in their previous La Liga fixture before earning a 3-1 extra-time win over Atletico Madrid in the Copa Del Rey on Thursday.
One of the most reliable things about Real Madrid this season is their record at the Santiago Bernabeu, where they are yet to taste defeat. Carlo Ancelotti’s men have won five of their seven home matches in La Liga, although they are yet to keep a clean sheet in front of their fans this term.
Outside of the top two, Real Sociedad have been one of the best teams in La Liga this season. Although they will be quick to douse any talk of a title challenge, the Basque club are currently third, just six points off the pace.
Real Sociedad travel to the Santiago Bernabeu off the back of five straight La Liga wins. They claimed a 2-0 victory at Rayo Vallecano in their previous fixture with Alexander Sorloth and Ander Barrenetxea getting the goals.
While Real Sociedad have undoubtedly impressed this season, they still tend to struggle against some of the top sides. They are coming off a second defeat of the season to Barcelona, losing 1-0 in the Copa Del Rey on Wednesday.
How the bookies view it
Real Madrid have the upper hand among the bookies with a home win priced at 14/19 by SBK. William Hill is offering 4/1 for a Real Sociedad victory while a draw is set at odds of 14/5 by Paddy Power.
Head to head
Real Madrid have a 31-12 advantage with 11 draws from 54 previous matches against Real Sociedad. Los Blancos have won the last two meetings with the most recent clash at the Santiago Bernabeu ending in a 4-1 victory.
Players to watch
Karim Benzema has scored six times in his last five La Liga appearances, taking his tally to nine goals for the season. The French striker was on target in the last meeting with Real Sociedad and is priced at 6/5 by bet365 to find the net on Sunday.
Alexander Sorloth is the leading scorer for Real Sociedad with eight goals and will be the one to watch on Sunday. The striker has also found the net in his last five La Liga matches and is priced at 17/5 by bet365 to maintain his scoring run.
Anything else catch the eye?
The last meeting between Real Madrid and Real Sociedad produced over 3.5 goals and a repeat is priced at 12/5 with BetVictor. Over 2.5 goals can also be considered at 10/11 with bet365, who are also offering 10/11 on both teams to score.
Real Madrid and Real Sociedad have produced more goals after the break in two of their last three meetings and could be set for a repeat at 11/10 with Paddy Power.
This La Liga match between Real Madrid and Real Sociedad will be played on Jan 29, 2023 and kick off at 20:00. Check below for our tipsters best Real Madrid vs Real Sociedad prediction. You may also visit our dedicated betting previews section for the most up to date previews.