La Liga Preview: Real Sociedad Seeks Rebound After Opening Loss, Espanyol Struggles in Recent Match-Ups

On August 25th at 3:30 AM, the second round of the 2024-25 La Liga season will see Real Sociedad visiting the RCDE Stadium to challenge Espanyol, hoping to quickly recover from their opening game loss in La Liga.

In the first match of the season, Real Sociedad lost 1-2 at home to Rayo Vallecano, while Espanyol lost 0-1 to Valladolid in their first match after promotion.

Espanyol has been relegated to the Segunda Division twice in the past four seasons but returned to La Liga last season through the playoffs, defeating Sporting Gijon and Oviedo in the semi-finals and finals. During the summer transfer window, Espanyol brought in six new players but lost Martin Braithwaite, who scored 22 goals last season, a significant blow to the team.

In their first match of the new season, Espanyol lost 0-1 to Valladolid, with Raul Moro’s goal in the 23rd minute deciding the outcome of the game.

In terms of head-to-head records, Espanyol has lost all three recent La Liga matches against Real Sociedad. The last meeting was in February 2023, where they lost 2-3 at home. However, during the 2021-22 season, they won 1-0 against Real Sociedad at home.

In the opening round of La Liga, Real Sociedad suffered a setback against Rayo Vallecano, despite scoring a goal in stoppage time by Martin Zubimendi, they still ended up losing 1-2. The team ranked sixth in La Liga last season and qualified for this season’s Europa League. Although Zubimendi remains with the team, Robin Le Normand’s departure has had some impact on the squad.

Espanyol midfielder Edu Exposito will continue to be sidelined due to injury, but other players are in good condition. Coach Gonzalez may make adjustments to the lineup, with Alex Clare and Alvaro Aguado expected to start.

For Real Sociedad, Zubimendi is expected to return to the starting lineup, and Ander Barrenetxea could also start. However, Alvaro Odriozola, Igor Zubeldia, and Arsen Zakharyan will miss out due to injuries, while Mikel Merino is close to transferring to Arsenal.

Real Sociedad has an opportunity to win this match and bounce back after the opening loss. Despite the expected intensity of the game, Real Sociedad’s strength and historical performance suggest they are capable of securing these crucial three points.

Expected Starting Lineups:

Espanyol: Garcia; Tejero, El Hilali, S. Gomez, Cabrera, Romero; Millar, Clare, Aguado; Puado, Weissman

Real Sociedad: Remiro; Traore, Elustondo, Pacheco, J. Lopez; Mendes, Zubimendi, Turrientes; Kubo, Oyarzabal, Barrenetxea

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