La Liga: Bridesmaids Bid for Winning Start to 2025

Real Sociedad vs Villarreal

Seventh versus fifth in La Liga offers two of the proverbial bridesmaids in Spanish football a chance to make a winning start to league duties in the new year. Incidentally, to describe both Real Sociedad and Villarreal as bridesmaids is not a mark of disrespect.

This SBOTOP observer has nothing but admiration for two clubs who have managed to stay fairly consistent in the standings over the years, despite possessing a mere fraction of the resources available to many of their counterparts. Only once in the past decade have Sociedad finished outside the top 10, while Villareal have only slipped below that point once in the past 12 years.

Against that backdrop, there is every reason to expect early La Liga 2025 highlights when these two lock horns in the Anoeta Stadium on Monday night.

 

Talking Points

As well as sides who retain a genuine consistency, this meeting also provides a good example of clubs who often struggle to keep onto top talent.

Mikel Merino scored twice in the matches between the clubs last term and is now recovering from an early spell on the sidelines to become a member of Arsenal’s dynamic midfield. Sociedad reluctantly agreed to cash in last summer, especially as Merino had entered the final year of his contract at the La Liga club.

Meanwhile, Martin Zubimendi, amidst interest from both the Gunners and Liverpool, the latter of which extended to a bid, decided to stay with the Spanish club rather than join the Merseysiders. The 25-year-old, who helped Spain win Euro 2024, was targeted by the Reds after they were told unequivocally he wanted to leave this summer. However, Sociedad tried to persuade the player to change his mind and, ultimately, succeeded.

While Sociedad were in Copa del Rey action last Sunday when they 2-0 winners over the minnows of Ponferradina, this will be Villarreal’s first outing for more than three weeks since a 5-2 league success at Leganes three days before Christmas, helped by Thierno Barry’s first hat-trick in Spanish football.

Their current fifth place in the table is no mean feat, especially as they lost such an impressive figure in Unai Emery little more than two years ago. Villarreal are no stranger to giving the big boys a bloodied nose and enjoying success and they had a relatively good start to the season too, even if their form dipped in weeks prior to the winter break.

With their sights firmly set on finishing inside the Champions League places, they will likely look to this month’s transfer window in their bid to give themselves an added boost for the remainder of the campaign.

After selling key players in recent seasons, including Alexander Sorloth (to Atletico Madrid) and Nicolas Jackson (to Chelsea), they could certainly do with such a frontman now, given they have lost Ilias Akhomach for the rest of the season with an ACL injury. Specifically, it’s reported they want a winger that can also play as a striker.

Whether they will have strengthened in time for this encounter remains to be seen, yet as the second-highest scoring team in the top-flight at the time of writing, perhaps securing a goal-getter is not their priority.

They have the joint second worst defencive record in the league so, all in all then, I’m not expecting a goalless draw on Monday.

 

History

A fourth round Copa del Rey tie in November 1986 was when it all started for these two clubs, although they never actually met again until a La Liga meeting 12 years later.

Last season’s clashes were won by the away sides. Sociedad won 3-0 just before Christmas when Merino, Zubimendi and Takefusa Kubo grabbed the goals. In the corresponding fixture, though, they were then beaten 3-1 on home soil as Santi Comesana (two) and Sorloth grabbed the goals. Second half substitute Merino was again on target for the home side.

Villarreal have actually only tasted defeat in three of their last 15 visits to the Anoeta Stadium.

 

Betting Tip

The hosts are clear favourites with the La Liga 2025 betting odds.

Sociedad are on offer 1X2 @ 1.78 and Asian Handicap -0.75 @ 2.02, compared to Villarreal 1X2 @ 4.12 and Asian Handicap +0.50 @ 2.13. The draw @ 3.38 caught my eye, and I was also taken by Total Goal 2-3 @ 1.98, far more than a re-run of the game last term which will pay out at a whopping @ 55.00 with Correct Score 1-3.

I am going to edge towards Sociedad, though, who were in largely fine form before the brief winter hiatus.

   

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