The second leg of the 2024/25 Europa League playoff between Real Sociedad (Spain) and Midtjylland (Denmark) will take place on February 20 at the Reale Arena in San Sebastián. The first match ended 2-1 in favor of Real Sociedad. Real Sociedad vs. Midtjylland: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Real Sociedad
The Spanish side secured victory in the first leg, defeating their opponents 2-1 on the road. Now, to advance to the Round of 16, they only need to avoid defeat in the return leg. This victory marks their fourth win in the last five Europa League matches. Between these wins, the club also suffered a defeat to Lazio. Notably, in the last two European seasons, the San Sebastián team reached the Round of 16 in both the Champions League and Europa League.
- The club's uncompromising streak in this tournament stands at eight matches (5 wins and 3 losses).
- Exactly two or three goals have been scored in 8 of Real Sociedad's last 9 Europa League games.
- The number "2" appeared in the final score of 6 of the last 8 European matches for the Spanish side.
Projected lineup for Real Sociedad (4-3-3)
Unai Marrero – Aritz Elustondo, Jon Aramburu, Jon Pacheco, Jon Balda – Brais Méndez, Pablo Marín Tejada, Jon Ander Olasagasti – Takefusa Kubo, Ander Barrenetxea, Orri Oskarsson.
Midfielder Martin Zubimendi and defender Jon Aramburu will miss the match due to yellow card accumulation, while defenders Jon Pacheco and Amari Traore are sidelined with injuries.
Midtjylland
The Danish side has not advanced beyond the Round of 32 in any European competition this century. It seems unlikely they will raise their performance this time, as they need to defeat the Basque side by two or more goals on their turf. If the return leg ends with a one-goal victory for the visitors, extra time will be played. It's worth noting that the team has only one win in their last six Europa League matches (1 draw and 4 losses).
- The number "2" appeared in the final score of Midtjylland's last six games in this tournament.
- Exactly two or three goals have been scored in 7 of the last 9 matches for the Danish side in the Europa League.
- In 8 of the last 10 previous encounters in this European competition, exactly 1 goal was scored in the first half.
Projected lineup for Midtjylland (4-3-3)
Jonas Lössl – Paulinho, Mads Bech Sørensen, Usman Diao, Erik Andersson – Dani Silva, Denil Castillo, Oliver Sørensen – Dario Osorio, Adam Buksa, Aral Simsir.
The club's injury list includes forward Cho Gue-sung and midfielder Kristoffer Askildsen.
Referee
Serdar Gözübüyük (Netherlands)
Matches – 6 (International matches, 2024/25);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 37;
Average yellow cards per match – 6.2;
Red cards shown – 1;
Average fouls per match – 25;
Penalties – 50%.
Prediction for Real Sociedad vs. Midtjylland
The level of the San Sebastián team is still higher than the Danish side, and the Spanish league is stronger than the Scandinavian one. This was evident in the first match – the Basque side scored two goals in the first half, conceding only one in return, and confidently saw the match through to its logical conclusion. I believe that in the return leg, the La Liga representative will prevail based on their experience.
It's worth noting that Real Sociedad has won their last three home matches in the Europa League. Moreover, the team did not concede a single goal in this series, and the victories were achieved with a margin of two or three goals. The Danish side has mediocre away records – in their last nine away matches, they have only two wins, which they achieved against modest sides Ludogorets and Maccabi Tel Aviv (with three draws and four losses). Hence, my prediction is a Real Sociedad victory.
