Atletico Madrid vs Real Sociedad
Atletico Madrid and Real Sociedad are the finalists of this year’s Copa del Rey, having outlasted Barcelona and Athletic Bilbao, respectively. These two teams will square off on April 18 at Seville, and they are expected to go all-in for their only viable chance to win a trophy this campaign.
But before that, Los Rojiblancos and La Real will face off at the Wanda Metropolitano this Saturday for their second La Liga encounter this season, providing a preview of what to expect come mid-April. Both teams are keen to tack on points for different reasons.
For Atletico Madrid, they’re out to consolidate their Top 4 berth and hopefully scare Real Madrid and Barcelona at the top of the Spanish top-flight standings. Diego Simeone’s side is third with 51 points, level with fourth-placed Villarreal. Meanwhile, Real Sociedad are fighting for a European football spot. Pellegrino Matarazzo’s side is eighth with 35 points.
Talking Points
Atletico Madrid to keep long-time star for now
Antoine Griezmann has reportedly postponed his highly anticipated transfer to Major League Soccer club Orlando City, as he plans to stay with Atletico Madrid for the time being. The Frenchman was supposed to go to Orlando before the MLS transfer window deadline on March 26. But after reaching the Copa del Rey final, Griezmann chose to prioritize chasing his final trophy with Los Rojiblancos.
Griezmann is one of Atletico Madrid’s top scorers this term with six goals. The 34-year-old typically plays as a secondary striker alongside either Alexander Sorloth or Julian Alvarez, and he last found the back of the net during their 4-0 rout of Barcelona in the opening leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final tie last month.
He will likely drop to the bench against Real Sociedad after starting in yesterday’s 3-0 second-leg defeat. With his collective firepower, head coach Diego Simeone can pick and choose between Alvarez, Sorloth, Alex Baena, Ademola Lookman, and Giuliano Simeone in the final third this Saturday. Among them, Sorloth could get the starting nod, as he’s their most in-form attacker right now, having scored five goals in his last four appearances in all competitions.
Oyarzabal reminds us his class for Real Sociedad
Real Sociedad are through to the Copa del Rey final, as Mikel Oyarzabal converted the winning penalty in the 87th minute after Jon Gorrotxategi drew a foul inside the penalty area during a set-piece. Oyarzabal, who also completed a team-high three successful dribbles against Los Leones, now has 12 goals in all competitions to lead La Real in scoring (by a mile) this term.
Oyarzabal should continue to link up with Carlos Soler and Goncalo Guedes in the final third against Atletico Madrid, with Ander Barrenetxea and Benat Turrientes providing support. Orri Oskarsson, who has recovered from his injury, will likely come off the bench for the second straight match, while Takefusa Kubo remains on the sidelines.
History
Real Sociedad and Atletico Madrid shared the spoils in their first league meeting of the season just last January, as Goncalo Guedes and Alexander Sorloth exchanged goals early in the second half. That was Pellegrino Matarazzo’s first game as La Real head coach. Matarazzo replaced Sergio Francisco at the helm last December due to Real Sociedad’s lacklustre start.
La Real have generally struggled on the road this season (W3, D5, L5), while their results against the pre-round Top 5 teams have been poor too (W1, D1, L5).
Atletico Madrid have won 11 of their 13 La Liga home games this season (D1, L1), and their away win over Real Oviedo last time out was their 11th clean sheet of the campaign, a joint-high figure in the Spanish top-flight. In stark contrast, Real Sociedad only have a league-low two clean sheets this term.
Betting Tip
The La Liga 2026 odds expect Atletico Madrid to take maximum points against their next Copa del Rey opponents, Real Sociedad, on Saturday evening. Los Rojiblancos are 1.57 favourites, whereas La Real are 4.93 underdogs, and another draw is at 3.78 in the 1X2 market. As shown in their previous matchup, Atletico Madrid and Real Sociedad should be able to produce new La Liga 2026 highlights this weekend. Besides going for a home win, SBOTOP punters may also add Over 2.50 at 1.78, Over 2.75 at 2.02, and Total Goal 2-3 at 2.00 to the parlay. Furthermore, a Correct Score of 1-1 – the result of their reverse league fixture – offers a solid payout of 7.20 your bet.
A SHORT EXPLANATION ON HOW OUR (⭐) BETS ARE WORTH:
⭐⭐⭐= €20 (HIGHLY CONFIDENT)
⭐⭐= €10 (CONFIDENT)
⭐= €5 (SOMEWHAT CONFIDENT)
Disclaimer: Odds are correct at time of publish.
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