- Real Sociedad are in brutal form, having lost 5 consecutive games across all competitions, with a 1-0 loss at Real Betis followed by a 4-1 defeat to Real Madrid last time out.
- Celta de Vigo arrive in slightly better shape, with 1 win, 3 draws and 1 defeat across their last 5 games in all competitions, having been held to a 0-0 draw by Valencia in their last away game and being beaten 2-1 at home by Osasuna in their previous fixture.
- Real Sociedad average 1.5 goals per game in their last 5 home head-to-heads, while Celta de Vigo average 1.0 away in the same 5 games.
Pressure building on Real Sociedad
Real Sociedad have struggled since the start of LaLiga 2026/2027, sitting 20th with 0 points from 2 games and the pressure is beginning to build ahead of their latest encounter with Celta de Vigo on Thursday.
Pellegrino Matarazzo's men are looking to avoid a fifth consecutive defeat and have been set up to play in a 4-2-3-1 system which can morph into a 3-4-2-1 at Reale Arena, Spain. They have been patient in possession and have chosen their spots for pressing but they've been beaten in both games so far.
The txuri-urdin have also been thin in attack, with Luka Sucic top scoring with 1 goal from 2 games so far, while Celta de Vigo have been riding on the creativity of Miguel Roman, who has provided 1 assist from his 2 appearances in LaLiga 2026/2027. Celta de Vigo sit 14th with 1 point from 2 matches, so they have had a slightly better start but are also in need of lift off.
Cagey contest predicted at Reale Arena
This is the sort of game where the team in possession will try and pin the opposition back while the other team will be looking to hit on the break and create from turnovers.
Claudio Giraldez's men have been defending in a compact low block and looking to break out with width, asymmetry and pace, and that could be their best bet on Thursday night.
However, the odds are slightly skewed towards a cagey affair, with under 2.5 goals available at 1.6 and both teams to score no at 1.77. Celta will be happy to make this a gruelling affair and that is the most likely scenario, given that the hosts are likely to keep it tight while looking for the win. A drawn-out scrap or a narrow Real Sociedad win is the best fit here, so that is the pick for Thursday's game, while an exact score prediction of 1-1 looks good, given the average goals for and against over the last 5 home and away head-to-heads respectively.
