Real Sociedad vs Valencia

La Liga pacesetters Real Sociedad and underperforming Valencia will face off at Reale Arena in contrasting circumstances.

A 4-2 defeat away to Barcelona in their La Liga curtain-raiser served as a wake-up call for Real Sociedad, who have since gone unbeaten in their subsequent 12 league outings (W8, D4). ‘La Real’ welcomed the November international break top of the league table with a staggering 28 points to their name, their third-highest points tally at this stage of a top-flight campaign. Sociedad’s title credentials face a stern test here, as they meet a Valencia side they’ve only won once against across their last eight La Liga H2Hs at home (D3, L4). Imanol Alguacil’s men tend to go nuclear after the break, as witnessed by the fact that the vast majority (89.47%) of their total top-flight goals scored this season have come in the second half of play (17/19).

Meanwhile, Valencia’s promising start to the new La Liga season under Jose Bordalas that included three wins from four league matches (D1) now looks like a remote memory. The visitors have only won one of their last nine top-flight outings (D4, L4), conceding 2+ goals in 66.66% of those games. Particularly ponderous away from home, ‘Los Murciélagos’ have registered just one victory in their last 16 La Liga road trips (D5, L10), courtesy of a 4-1 triumph at Osasuna back in September. However, they have since lost three of their subsequent four league travels (D1), all of which came by 3+ goals ‘to one.’ Valencia’s sloppy first-half performances on the road have seen them record nine (75%) of their 12 La Liga away goals conceded this term in the second half.