Pellegrino Matarazzo has revived the Basque club since taking charge in December. They head into this key game at Villarreal brimming with confidence.
| Real Sociedad markets | Odds |
|---|---|
| Villarreal vs Real Sociedad - Over 2.5 goals | -125 |
| Mikel Oyarzabal to score anytime vs Villarreal | +188 |
| Copa del Rey final - BTTS | -105 |
Odds courtesy of bet365. Correct at time of publishing and subject to change.
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Goals galore as Real Sociedad’s resurgence continues
Real Sociedad were creating chances during the first half of the season. However, they struggled to turn them into results under Sergio Francisco. Defensive problems were evident, and they were down in 16th when Matarazzo took charge.
After 15 matches in all competitions under La Liga’s first-ever American coach, Real Sociedad have made great progress. With just two defeats in that period, they’ve climbed up to seventh in the Spanish top flight. They also have a Copa del Rey final to look forward to against Atletico Madrid next month.
Matarazzo has managed to unlock more from his attacking options. Summer signings Carlos Soler and Goncalo Guedes have started to settle. The latter scored a brace last weekend against Osasuna and took his tally to eight goals in La Liga this term.
Real Sociedad have netted at least once in all of their matches so far under the ex-Stuttgart boss. Their scoring run stretches to 18 games overall.
However, defensive issues remain. Both teams have scored in 23 of their 28 league games this term. 17 of those matches produced at least three goals in total.
Those trends have been even clearer since the managerial change. In La Liga, nine of their last 10 fixtures have seen both teams score. Eight of those encounters served up at least three goals.
Will La Real’s high-scoring trend continue?
Given those numbers, it’s surprising bookmakers have not slashed the odds on goals in Real Sociedad games. Bettors can back over 2.5 goals when they take on Villarreal this weekend, with an implied probability of 55.6%.
That seems to offer great value, particularly given the high-scoring nature of La Real’s matches against the top sides. They’ve faced the two big Madrid clubs within their last five outings. Each of those games saw both teams score and produced five goals in total.
Real Sociedad have also beaten Barcelona 2-1 since the change in coach. They did ride their luck on that occasion, allowing 3.68 xG across the 90 minutes. However, Mikel Oyarzabal’s goal put them on course for an excellent victory.
Oyarzabal has thrived under the new regime. He has scored in each of his last three appearances, moving onto 12 goals in La Liga. The Spain international stands out as a strong anytime goalscorer bet at the Estadio de la Ceramica.
Following the international break, attention will turn to April’s Copa del Rey final. Real Sociedad’s attacking mindset suggests they will aim to take the game to Atletico Madrid.
That approach has contributed to both teams scoring in all 17 of their games against current top-12 opponents in La Liga. They tend to run into more trouble against more defensive teams near the bottom of the table.
With the goals also flowing in many of Atleti’s recent games, this promises to be an entertaining showpiece. Backing both teams to score in Seville appears to offer real value