The ambitious capital club returned to third place in La Liga last season as expected. Now, they are trying to retain this spot amid unexpectedly fierce competition from Villarreal. Especially since they’ve recently lost in succession to Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Sevilla. Simultaneously, in the Champions League quarterfinals against Barcelona, after a 2-0 home win in the first leg, they narrowly lost the return match but advanced further.
The team from San Sebastian dropped to eleventh place last season. They struggled in the first part of the new campaign until Pellegrino was appointed as head coach. Under his guidance, they climbed from the danger zone to become contenders for European competitions by spring. However, they only managed a draw against Alaves.
In the cup, Diego Simeone’s side beat Atletico Baleares, Deportivo, and Betis. In the semifinals, they ultimately knocked out Barcelona—despite winning 4-0 at home, they conceded three unanswered goals away. Their opponent started earlier, and after wins over lesser-known teams Negreira, Reus Reddis, and Eldense, they almost got eliminated by Osasuna—penalties were needed after a 2-2 home draw. Afterward, they beat Alaves 3-2 and then defeated Athletic twice in the semifinals, 1-0 both away and at home.
Recent Matches: Atletico vs Real Sociedad
The capital club is unbeaten in nine consecutive meetings. While their January La Liga clash ended in a draw, Atletico won again in March, 3-1.
The nominal visitors will certainly fight hard. However, they face a very strong and motivated opponent, capable of delivering results. We predict a win for Simeone’s men (odds – 1.85).
Atletico vs Real Sociedad: Key Stats and Trends
Atletico have lost four of their last five matches
Atletico Madrid score an average of 1.65 goals and concede 1.03 goals per game
52% of Atletico’s matches end with both teams scoring; the average total goals per match is 2.68
Real Sociedad have won four of their last seven matches
Real Sociedad average 1.58 goals scored and 1.55 goals conceded per match
81% of Real Sociedad’s matches end with both teams scoring, with an average total of 3.13 goals per match
Atletico vs Real Sociedad: Probable Starting Line-ups
Atletico play in a 1-4-4-2 formation (probable line-up): Musso – Ruggeri, Gantzko, Pubill, Molina – Lookman, Koke, Llorente, Simeone – Alvarez, Griezmann. Barrios and Gimenez will be absent.
Real Sociedad line up in a 1-4-4-1-1 formation (probable line-up): Marrero – Zubeldia, Martin, Gomez, Aramburu – Soler, Barrenetxea, Turrientes, Gorrochategui – Guedes – Oyarzabal. Herrera, Odriozola, and several other players will miss the final.
