Atletico Madrid vs Real Sociedad

Atletico Madrid and Real Sociedad go head-to-head at the Estadio Wanda Metropolitano in a massive La Liga top-five six-pointer.

Hoping to bounce back from a heartbreaking 3-2 Champions League loss to Liverpool, Atletico Madrid will be gunning for their ninth straight La Liga home meeting with Sociedad without a defeat (W7, D1). Diego Simeone knows in-depth about building a fortress, with ‘Los Colchoneros’ going unbeaten in their last 11 La Liga matches at Wanda Metropolitano (W8, D3), including all four they’ve played this season (W2, D2). Defensively robust as ever, the reigning Spanish champions have kept three clean sheets in four La Liga home games this term, with both goals they conceded in a 2-2 draw with Villarreal arriving beyond half-time. Atletico outplayed Sociedad in both last season’s top-flight encounters and could now beat them three times in a row for only the second time under Simeone.

Meanwhile, the visitors have hit the ground running in La Liga following a 4-2 away defeat to Barcelona on Matchday 1, going unbeaten in their subsequent eight league matches (W6, D2). Though they remain the only side yet to concede at home in La Liga this season, Real Sociedad have failed to translate those solid defensive performances on the road, shipping seven goals in four league trips so far. Another potential concern for ‘La Real’ could be their underwhelming recent La Liga record in Madrid, as Imanol Alguacil’s men have picked up just two wins across their last 19 top-flight visits to the capital (D2, L15). Sociedad’s lackluster first-half showings away from home demand improvements, with the Basque side trailing at half-time in three of their four La Liga travels this term.