Real Sociedad vs Espanyol: Spanish League match forecast
Real Sociedad will host the La Liga Matchday 23 at their home stadium in San Sebastian. What are the chances of the Blues in the February 9 match against Espanyol? The meeting in this arena last season ended in peace – what can we expect today? Our experts evaluated the teams' chances and prepared the most optimal bets for the game. All the answers are in this article.

Command Analysis

Real Sociedad

Current form
Real Sociedad are approaching this match after three consecutive defeats in La Liga — this has not happened to them since December 2021, when the team lost four meetings in a row. However, the 2-0 victory over Osasuna in the Spanish Cup on Thursday was an important psychological boost for Imanol Alguacil's players. The difficult schedule and the struggle on several fronts have affected the stability of the white and blue, but the meeting with Espanyol may be an opportunity to return to the winning path.
Real Sociedad have won their last four face—to-face meetings against the Catalans, and their dominance at Real Arena is even more pronounced - five wins in a row, with the last defeat in San Sebastian against Espanyol dating back to September 2015. Moreover, the team demonstrates reliability in defense — four of the last five La Liga home matches ended without conceding goals, and the 0-3 loss to Getafe in the last home round was a rare exception.
Disqualifications and injuries
Alvaro Odriosolla (rib injury), Igor Zubeldia (knee injury) and Hamari Traore (knee injury) will not be able to play against Espanyol.
Interesting betting trends
- Real Sociedad have not conceded in three of their last five home matches.
- The Basques are scoring an average of 1.6 goals per game on their own field this season.
- In the last four face-to-face meetings with Espanyol, Real Sociedad has consistently won.
- In seven of Espanyol's last ten matches in La Liga, a total of less than 2.5 goals was recorded.
Approximate line—up: Remiro - Tierney, Le Norman, Subimendi, Garay — Mendes, Merino, Barrenechea, Kubo — Sadiku, Oyarzabal

Espanyol

Current form
After a sensational 1-0 victory over Real Madrid in the last round, Espanyol received a crucial boost in the fight for survival. This success allowed the Parrots to leave the relegation zone and extend their unbeaten streak in La Liga to four matches. However, the victory came at a high price: the author of the only goal, Carlos Romero, will miss the upcoming game due to too many cards.
Now the Catalans are heading to San Sebastian, where they will try to finally get their first away victory in La Liga since May 2023. Although they have not yet managed to take three points on someone else's field, the team is gradually improving its results away. In recent matches, Espanyol have drawn with Sevilla (1-1) and lost minimally twice (0-1), which confirms their ability to impose a fight even on strong opponents.
Disqualifications and injuries
Ramon (knee injury), Jose Gragera (ankle injury), Sergi Gomez Catala (knee injury) and Carlos Romero (red card) will not be able to play against Real Sociedad.
Interesting betting trends
- Espanyol have conceded at least one goal in 13 of their last 15 La Liga matches.
- The team has scored only two wins in the last eight league games.
- In four of the last five matches involving Espanyol, a total of less than 2.5 goals was recorded.
- In the last three away matches, the Catalans scored in the second half.
Approximate composition: Fernando Pacheco – Oscar Gil, Calero, Liejon, Brian Olivant – Dardaire, Vinicius Souza, Esposito – Poidro, Braithwaite, Yosef Dolberg
Trends
The bet is an exact score of 1:1
In four of the last six face-to-face matches, such a score was recorded.
6.50Bet Goals in both halves – yes
In 3 of Real Sociedad's last 5 matches, goals have been scored in both halves.
1.82Cornerrate: total more than 9.5
In 3 of the last 5 matches of the hosts, such a bet was held.
1.90The bid is the number 1 in the invoice
In three of the last six matches, such a bet was played
1.65Tip and bets
In the upcoming match, there is a high probability that both teams will be able to distinguish themselves. Despite the recent decline, Real Sociedad remains a team that actively plays in attack on its own field. Imanol Alguacil's men consistently create chances at the opponents' goal and have scored at least one goal in seven of the last ten La Liga home matches. Espanyol, in turn, received a huge boost after the sensational victory over Real Madrid (1-0) in the last round and continues to fight to keep its registration in the elite.
The Catalans are gradually improving their away game, scoring in the last three away matches in a row, including meetings against Sevilla and Athletic. Their main trump card is quick counterattacks, which can create problems for the defense of the hosts. Historically, face-to-face meetings between these teams also confirm the likelihood of a goal exchange. In four of the last five matches between Real Sociedad and Espanyol, both teams have scored. Given the attacking potential of the hosts and the motivation of the guests to score points, betting on goals from both sides seems logical.
Our forecast is that both teams will score, the coefficient is 2.38
Betting on the outcome
The Basques, despite recent setbacks, continue to demonstrate confident play in their field, but their unstable results in recent rounds cast doubt on their status as a favorite. Espanyol, in turn, received a powerful boost after a sensational 1-0 victory over Real Madrid and extended their unbeaten streak to four matches.
The Catalans are traditionally an uncomfortable opponent for Real Sociedad, and their organized defense can create serious difficulties for the attacking actions of the hosts. In four of the last five face-to-face meetings in La Liga, these teams have been tied, which underlines their equality in class and tactical precision. A hard-fought fight is expected, in which both sides will be careful and try not to take risks, which makes a draw the most likely outcome.
The forecast is a draw, the coefficient is 4.10
Betting on statistics
The match between Real Sociedad and Espanyol can delight fans with an abundance of corner kicks. Real Sociedad prefers to play actively through the flanks, using passes and shots into the penalty area. In home matches, the team of Imanol Alguasil consistently provides more than five corners per game, and in the last five meetings this figure was above average. Espanyol, although they play number two on the road, also relies on standards, using high pressure and strikes on the attackers. In their last six La Liga matches, there have been at least 10 corner kicks. Taking into account the attacking approach of the hosts and the tactical changes of the guests, we can expect high activity in this category.
The forecast is that the total number of corners is more than 9.5, the coefficient is 1.95