Real Madrid to return to winning ways
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The 2018-19 La Liga season has not been kind to Real Madrid. Los Blancos currently sit fourth in the league table having secured 30 of 51 points. Of course, last season saw the team play poorly in the first half of the season.
However, Real Madrid had Cristiano Ronaldo to rescue them in the second half. With Ronaldo gone to Juventus, Real Madrid must find a way to overcome their deficiencies without him. Real Sociedad are 15th in the table and losers of their last four league games. Just three points separate Sociedad from the relegation zone as several big names in Spanish football sit near the bottom of the table.
Real Madrid drew 2-2 with one of those big-name relegation struggles on Thursday night. Los Blancos fell behind early to Villarreal, but found goals from Karim Benzema and Raphael Varane to take a halftime lead. However, Villarreal found an equaliser in the 82nd minute to compound Madrid’s woes. Madrid are just +5 in goal difference as their defence has shipped 21 goals. It is the ninth highest goals allowed rate in La Liga.
The good news for Madrid is Sociedad have tallied just 18 goals this term while conceding 20. In their last four games – all losses – Sociedad have scored just once. Unbelievably, goalscoring has been low for many of the teams in La Liga. Sociedad’s 18 goals scored ties them for the seventh fewest. Twelve teams have scored 19 or fewer goals which shows the lack of quality strikers in the Spanish top-flight.
Madrid manager Santiago Solari may have recently won the FIFA Club World Cup, but he continues to struggle on the domestic front. Sunday’s match will mostly likely see him without star Gareth Bale. The Welshman picked up yet another injury in the team’s draw with Villarreal.
According to Solari, Bale’s absence cost Madrid the game. Luka Modric also left the game early as Solari explained he wasn’t fully fit.
Despite form and injuries, Madrid have dominated the last six matches against Sociedad winning them all. Five of those six matches have seen three or more goals scored. Madrid’s home form against Sociedad has been stellar as they have scored at least three goals in their last eight home matches against Real Sociedad in all competitions.
Sunday’s game at the Santiago Bernabeu will once again see Sociedad fail to create scoring opportunities. Madrid will gain another victory over their rivals and will put another three goals past the Sociedad defence at home.
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