Real Madrid is aiming to continue their impressive start to the 2023-24 La Liga season with a fifth consecutive victory as they prepare to host Real Sociedad at the Bernabeu on Sunday night.
Under the guidance of Carlo Ancelotti, Real Madrid sits comfortably at the top of the table with 12 points, having secured wins against Athletic Bilbao, Almeria, Celta Vigo, and Getafe.
Unbeaten so far, Real Sociedad currently occupies the eighth spot, having accumulated six points from their opening four matches.
Although Real Madrid hasn’t been playing champagne football in the early stages of the season, they have been effective in securing crucial wins.
Jude Bellingham has been the standout performer, scoring five goals in his first four appearances, including a late winner against Getafe before the international break.
Real Madrid aims to reclaim the La Liga title from Barcelona this season and will also kickstart their Champions League campaign with a home game against Union Berlin next week.
A challenging Madrid derby against Atletico Madrid awaits them on September 24 at the Wanda Metropolitano stadium.
The international break interrupted Real Madrid’s momentum, but they are determined to prove that it hasn’t affected their form.
However, recent history suggests that Real Sociedad presents a tough challenge. Real Madrid has only managed two wins in their last six La Liga encounters with Real Sociedad and suffered a 2-0 defeat in their previous meeting in May.
Interestingly, Real Sociedad secured a draw at the Bernabeu last season and even claimed a 2-0 away victory over Real Madrid during the 2018-19 campaign.
Under the management of Imanol Alguacil, Real Sociedad has started the season unbeaten, drawing against Girona, Celta Vigo, and Las Palmas before registering a thrilling 5-3 home win against Granada just before the international break.
Onto team news, Real Madrid has encountered some injury setbacks early in the season. Eder Militao, Thibaut Courtois, Arda Guler, and Vinicius Junior are currently sidelined.
However, Ferland Mendy and Dani Ceballos have returned to full training and could feature in this match.
Real Sociedad will be without Martin Merquelanz and Andre Silva, but Umar Sadiq is expected to recover from a knock.
Expected Starting Lineups:
Real Madrid:
- Kepa
- Carvajal
- Rudiger
- Alaba
- Garcia
- Valverde
- Tchouameni
- Camavinga
- Bellingham
- Rodrygo
- Joselu
Real Sociedad:
- Remiro
- Traore
- Zubeldia
- Le Normand
- Tierney
- Mendez
- Zubimendi
- Merino
- Kubo
- Oyarzabal
- Barrenetxea
Prediction:
We anticipate an exciting and closely contested match between Real Madrid and Real Sociedad. While a draw wouldn’t be surprising, we have a feeling that Real Madrid will prevail with a 2-1 victory.