Matchday 8 of La Liga will see Real Sociedad take on Rayo Vallecano on October 5 at the Anoeta Stadium in San Sebastián. Real Sociedad vs. Rayo Vallecano: prediction and betting odds, statistics.
Real Sociedad
The opening phase of the La Liga season has been a challenging period for the club. In the previous round, Real Sociedad defeated Mallorca, finally securing their first victory in the current Primera campaign. However, the team then succumbed to Barcelona, marking their fourth defeat in the last five league matches. This setback has pushed the Basque side back into the relegation zone. Overall, the club has failed to win 13 of their last 15 La Liga encounters (4 draws, 9 losses).
- Both teams have scored in 5 of Real Sociedad's last 7 league matches.
- The Basque side has won with a handicap (+1.5) in 6 of their last 7 La Liga games.
- The club has not scored more than one goal in 6 of their last 7 matches in the Primera.
Predicted lineup for Real Sociedad (4-5-1)
Alejandro Remiro – Álvaro Odriozola, Duje Ćaleta-Car, Igor Zubeldia, Aihen Muñoz – Beñat Turrientes, Jon Gorrotxategi, Pablo Marín Tejada, Gonçalo Guedes, Ander Barrenetxea – Mikel Oyarzabal.
Defender Jon Aranburu, midfielder Yangel Herrera, and forward Orri Oskarsson are unavailable due to injuries.
Rayo Vallecano
The team is experiencing times as difficult as Real Sociedad. Although Rayo Vallecano started the current Primera season with a win over Girona, the club has since gone six matches without a victory (2 draws, 4 losses). Moreover, the Madrid side has yet to keep a clean sheet in La Liga this season. Last weekend, Iñigo Pérez's men were defeated by Sevilla, dropping them to 16th place in the standings.
- The club has scored in 12 of their last 16 away league games.
- Rayo Vallecano's uncompromising away streak in the Primera extends to 12 matches (5 wins, 7 losses).
- The team has not conceded more than one goal in 7 of their last 9 La Liga matches.
Predicted lineup for Rayo Vallecano (4-4-2)
Augusto Batalla – Andrei Rațiu, Florian Lejeune, Pathé Ciss, Pep Chavarría – Álvaro García, Óscar Valentín, Pedro Díaz, Jorge de Frutos – Isi Palazón, Aleman.
Due to injuries, defenders Luis Felipe and Abdul Mumin will not be able to play.
Referee
Josu Galech (Spain)
Matches – 25 (Segunda, 2024/25–2025/26);
Yellow cards shown (including second yellows) – 101;
Average yellow cards per match – 4.0;
Red cards shown – 6;
Average fouls per match – 25;
Penalties – 20%.
Match Prediction: Real Sociedad vs. Rayo Vallecano
Both teams are struggling in the first part of the La Liga season, but neither club appears hopeless. On average, the teams score one goal per game in the league, but they concede even more, giving us reasons to expect a high-scoring encounter. In 8 of Real Sociedad's last 9 Primera matches, at least 2 goals have been scored, and the same level of scoring has been reached in 8 of the Basque side's last 12 home La Liga games.
Matches involving Rayo Vallecano are also regularly filled with goals. At least 2 goals have been seen in 5 of the team's last 7 league matches. Looking at away games, at least 2 goals have been scored in 8 of Rayo's last 10 away Primera matches. This trend is also evident in head-to-head meetings at Real Sociedad's ground: two or more goals have been scored in 9 of the last 12 games, with at least 3 goals in 8 of those 12 encounters.
My prediction – Total over 2