Real Sociedad vs Villareal
5th January 1300hrs
Football – Spain – La Liga
Pick Over 2.5 goals
Bookmaker Marathonbet
Odds: 13/20 odds taken 1400 GMT, Saturday 4 January)
It was an excellent first half to the season for Real Sociedad and they will be looking to start 2020 in similar form when they face a Villareal team who can edge their way up towards the European places with a win of their own.
La Liga Betting at Marathonbet
Real Sociedad vs Villareal Live Stats & Betting Odds
Real Sociedad Preview – Can La Real get the victory that would see them remain on the heels of the top four as they chase Champions League football?
Imanol Alguacil is doing an incredible job as head coach of Real Sociedad. Having recently celebrated his first year in charge, Alguacil has led the club to the brink of the top four and with a realistic chance of qualifying for the Champions League. They come into their first game of 2020 one point behind Atletico Madrid but will be aware of how competitive that race is with only six points between themselves and opponents Villareal in 10th spot. It’s going to be a fascinating battle for fourth in the second half of the season and Alguacil will be desperate for his team to get this calendar year off to a winning start.
Sociedad’s only defeat in their last eight games came away to Real Madrid and for the most part they have been one of the most entertaining teams to watch in La Liga so far this season. That was evident in their latest match, a 4-3 win away to Osasuna. They were 3-0 up in that game at one point but their style of play is such that they will always the opposition a chance. Their games average over three goals and they are the third highest scorers in the league.
Villareal Preview – Will Villareal make it three wins on the bounce to go within three points of their opponents in La Liga?
It was a really strong end to 2019 for Villareal who won their final three games to ensure they begin this year in confident fashion. One of those wins was a routine victory in the early rounds of the Copa Del Rey but it was the league wins which would are the most significant. A 2-1 win away to Sevilla followed by a 1-0 success at home to Getafe would have been hugely satisfying for Javi Calleja. Both of those opponents sit above Villareal in the league and will give his team great belief going forward. Whilst a top four finish is still achievable, you sense that a top six position and qualification for the Europa League is more realistic.
Just as Real Sociedad are one of the most exciting teams to watch, Villareal are also full of goals and entertainment. They have the second highest average goals per game ratio behind only Barcelona so they score plenty and concede often. Gerard Moreno has been in good goal scoring form for Villareal this season with eight in the league. It’s been good enough to get him in the Spain team and likely to be included in the squad for Euro 2020 all going well. He’s not scored in his last five for his club, though, and looking to put that right here.
Key-Facts – Real Sociedad vs Villareal
- Real Sociedad are currently one point behind Atletico Madrid in fourth and in with a real chance of qualifying for next season’s Champions League
- Significant wins over Getafe and Sevilla mean Villareal now have renewed hope of finishing in the European places
- It was the visiting team who won each of the meetings between the teams last season
Real Sociedad vs Villareal Betting Advice
It’s a clash of two of La Liga’s entertainers on Sunday to get things going in 2020. Real Sociedad know they need to keep pace with Atletico Madrid in the race for the top four and that means winning their home games. For the visitors they are looking to continue where they left off before Christmas and get three points against a team who are above them in the league. A win for Villareal would see them go within three points of their opponents and further fuel their own top four hopes.
I have alluded to how attacking these two teams are and that’s shown with 32 and 31 goals scored respectively. It’s a game that looks set for goals. There have been three or more goals in 11 of Real Sociedad’s last 14 games, and the same in 13 of Villareal’s 18 games in La Liga this season. Over 2.5 goals looks to be the obvious selection on this occasion.
