As the Champions League action heats up on Wednesday night, Real Sociedad is set to face a troubled SL Benfica side that finds itself unexpectedly sitting at the bottom of Group D.
With Sociedad tied for the top spot with Inter and Benfica yet to open their points tally, this match carries significant weight for both sides.
🦅 𝗟𝗮 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗮 𝗱𝗲 𝘂𝗻 𝗵𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼́𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗼 🇵🇹#UCL | #WeareReal pic.twitter.com/BeBBqvUB2P— Real Sociedad Fútbol (@RealSociedad) November 7, 2023
🦅 𝗟𝗮 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗮 𝗱𝗲 𝘂𝗻 𝗵𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗼́𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗼 🇵🇹#UCL | #WeareReal pic.twitter.com/BeBBqvUB2P
Sociedad, inspired by their strong La Liga performances, have established Anoeta as a fortress, barring a few slip-ups against the league's top teams.
Their consistency at home, with just one loss in their last eight outings, will give them confidence as they seek to fortify their standing in Europe.
Benfica, in contrast, seems to be enduring a Champions League campaign to forget, with no points and no goals to their name thus far.
Despite this, their domestic form remains strong, as they chase leaders Sporting Lisbon in the Primeira Liga, suggesting a side that possesses quality but is yet to translate it effectively on the European stage.
SL Benfica have been drawing at half time their last 4 away matches in Champions League but fail to grab the win in the second stage of the match and that is surely an area of concern that manager Schmidt will be keen to address.
Real Sociedad's recent Champions League fixtures have ended with less than 2.5 goals scored in their last three matches.
This disciplined approach could be key in a game where defensive solidity may trump attacking flair.
The Spanish side's Brais Mendez and Takefusa Kubo have been revelations this season, demonstrating the skill and creativity that could very well unravel the defence of the Lisbon Eagles.
While Benfica searches for a change in fortune, Real Sociedad will aim to continue their strong campaign, potentially leaving the Portuguese giants to refocus their ambitions on domestic success and a third-place group finish.
Forebet predicts that Real Sociedad will likely compound Benfica's woes in a contest that's expected to be low-scoring.