REAL MADRID FACE REAL SOCIEDAD TEST AS MOURINHO TARGETS SECOND STRAIGHT LA LIGA WIN

Real Madrid will welcome Real Sociedad to the Santiago Bernabéu on Wednesday night as José Mourinho’s side look to build on their opening-day victory and maintain an early challenge for the La Liga title. The match will be Madrid’s first league game at home this season.

Mourinho began his second spell in charge of Real Madrid with a narrow victory over Espanyol, with Carlos Espí scoring the decisive goal late in the game. Despite securing three points, Madrid showed some defensive and tactical weaknesses that the Portuguese manager will be expected to address against Sociedad.

The hosts will also be aware of the pressure created by Barcelona’s impressive start to the campaign. The reigning champions opened their season with a convincing 5–0 victory over Elche, meaning Madrid will be keen to avoid dropping points in a home fixture they are expected to win.

Real Sociedad, meanwhile, enter the encounter looking to recover from a narrow defeat to Real Betis in their opening match. The visitors finished 10th in La Liga last season but enjoyed a memorable Copa del Rey campaign, defeating Atlético Madrid in the final. However, their poor run towards the end of last season has raised questions about their consistency.

One of the key players to watch will be Kylian Mbappé, who has an impressive record against Sociedad. The French forward has scored seven goals in six appearances against them. Madrid will also have to cope with several injury concerns, including Aurélien Tchouaméni, Ferland Mendy and Rodrygo, while Éder Militão has returned to training.

Sociedad will look to captain Mikel Oyarzabal for inspiration. The experienced forward is expected to make his first start of the season after coming off the bench against Betis. Meanwhile, Takefusa Kubo and other attacking players will be expected to exploit any weaknesses in Madrid’s defence.

The match is scheduled for 8:00pm Nigerian time at the Santiago Bernabéu. A 3–1 victory for Real Madrid is predicted, but Sociedad’s ability to challenge Madrid in previous meetings means the hosts cannot afford to be complacent.