Real Madrid vs Real Sociedad Prediction: The Draw/Madrid HT/FT Bet looks tasty

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Real Madrid vs Real Sociedad Preview:

Real Madrid have the opportunity to go top of La Liga on Saturday night. They'll be expecting a tough match against a Real Sociedad side that has made a stunning start to life under their new boss Pellegrino Matarazzo. 

An early exit in the Copa del Rey has given Los Blancos the rare luxury of two free midweeks heading into this match. Despite their struggles in cup competitions, Real Madrid are currently on a seven-game winning streak in La Liga. That has brought them right back into the title race. 

A 2-0 victory at Valencia was their latest triumph last weekend. In a relatively uneventful contest, left-back Álvaro Carreras' solo strike broke the deadlock in the 65th minute, before Kylian Mbappé fired in his 38th goal of the season in all competitions to seal the three points late on. 

Despite their strong league form, there is still little sense that this is a convincing Real Madrid side. Moments of individual quality, most frequently from Mbappé, are getting them over the line, but Álvaro Arbeloa has failed to solve any of the underlying issues that contributed to Xabi Alonso's downfall. 

The new man appears to have settled on a 4-4-2 system. He has moved Fede Valverde back into midfield, with youngster David Jiménez getting the nod at right-back last time out. The fit-again Trent Alexander-Arnold will be hoping to take that position over the coming weeks, with Dani Carvajal currently out of favour altogether, or so it seems. 

Real Sociedad have reason to fancy their chances of being very competitive. However, fatigue could be a factor after they played the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final against Basque rivals Athletic Club on Wednesday night. La Real won that game 1-0 in Bilbao, and are now clear favourites to progress to what's likely to be a final against Atlético Madrid in April. 

Their season has completely turned around since the appointment of Matarazzo. The American coach was a virtually unknown name in Spain when he took the job, but the ex-Stuttgart boss has not lost any of his opening nine fixtures. 

That run has not only taken Real Sociedad to the brink of a cup final, but has turned a potential relegation battle in La Liga into a European push. Only Real Madrid have picked up more points than them over the last five matchdays. 

As good a job as Matarazzo has done, there is also an element of the Basque side having underachieved over the previous 18 months. They can still count on the services of Mikel Oyarzabal, the regular forward for a dominant Spanish national team. Summer signing Carlos Soler is also a proven performer in this league, and has added a touch of quality in midfield. 

The club also continues to churn out young talent via one of the best academies in Europe. Where possible, they always look to promote from within. That process has continued this season following homegrown Martín Zubimendi's departure to join Arsenal, which has served up opportunities for academy products Jon Gorrotxategi and Beñat Turrientes. 

Team News: 

Real Madrid have had a scare over Mbappé this week, with the Frenchman not training fully due to a knee problem. He is expected to be available for this game, but Arbeloa must decide whether it's worth risking his top scorer 72 hours before a key Champions League match away to Benfica. 

Vinícius Júnior will return from suspension up front, but Rodrygo remains an injury doubt. The hosts will also be without the injured Jude Bellingham and Éder Militão. 

As for Real Sociedad, there may be some changes following their cup exploits on Wednesday. However, they are not in action this coming midweek, so Matarazzo is expected to mostly stick with the players that have delivered for him until this point. 

Midfielder Brais Méndez completes a two-game suspension following a recent red card. The visitors are also missing the injured Take Kubo and Luka Sučić, while wingers Ander Barrenetxea and Gonçalo Guedes are additional fitness concerns.