- Real Sociedad have won two and drawn one of the last three LaLiga encounters between the two sides.
- Espanyol have failed to win any of their last two home games against Real Sociedad.
Tactical clash in Barcelona
The contrast in style between Espanyol and Real Sociedad will be intriguing on Saturday when two clubs with European ambitions meet in Barcelona, and this RCD Espanyol vs Real Sociedad prediction is set to draw a lot of attention given each team’s tactical approach.
Manolo Gonzalez’s side have reacted well to the new season by winning back-to-back games against Athletic Bilbao and Osasuna to make it two wins in their last five.
The 4-4-2 formation they play is a very reactive and shape-first system that doesn’t offer much in terms of player interchange or transition from defensive line to attack, but it does make them difficult to break down if they have their compact shape.
Kike Garcia is their leading goalscorer with only six in 34 LaLiga games, but they do have a quality connection man in Edu Expósito who can be the pivot in transition and when they try to build from the back in a structured way.
Pellegrino Matarazzo’s men are a different proposition entirely with their high pressing, ball-circulating, 4-3-3 system that looks to control games by dominating possession and creating overloads.
Takefusa Kubo is a star in the making and his creativity, pace and dribbling ability to unlock defences make them a threat, while Mikel Oyarzabal is a talisman up front who has scored 15 LaLiga goals in 31 appearances, three of them in the last five.
Our RCD Espanyol vs Real Sociedad preview goes into further details on the playing styles and key men to watch.
Both teams to score is the play
Real Sociedad are in poor form, winless in five, with three draws and two defeats, and odds of 3.27 are generous for an away win when there are so many other variables to consider.
But we are going for the away side to edge this game, as Espanyol’s home form has been inconsistent this year with one win, one draw and one defeat in their last three.
The bookies are expecting a free-flowing game with Over 2.5 goals at 1.93, which is the same price we saw for the game between these two sides eight months ago when the match ended in a 2-2 draw at Real Sociedad's ground.
That will probably be a similar outcome in terms of goals, but Real Sociedad have just enough quality to get the win this time and we are taking both teams to score at 1.66 because of all the attacking talent that should be on show.
For those looking for guidance, our RCD Espanyol vs Real Sociedad betting tips can provide useful insights. Additionally, the RCD Espanyol vs Real Sociedad prediction could hinge on the consistency of the attackers in this showdown.
