Malaga vs Real Sociedad prediction: team news, lineups, expert analysis
On October 18, 2026, Malaga and Real Sociedad will meet in the 9th round of Spain's La Liga. Both sides will be hoping to achieve a positive result, at least in this clash.
Malaga - Real Sociedad team news and expert analysis
The club from La Rosaleda finished in the top six of last season's Segunda regular season before going on to win the playoffs. However, life has been extremely difficult for this newcomer at the top level. They had not won a match before October and, to make matters worse, lost more than half of their games. They drew 1-1 with Espanyol after the international break.
The team from San Sebastian lifted a cup in the spring, but finished only tenth in the league. That trophy earned them a place in the Europa League. However, they lost at home to Bournemouth there, while Thursday's match against Royal Union ended in a draw. They have also had plenty of setbacks on the domestic front. In October, though, they beat Deportivo, albeit by a narrow 3-2 scoreline.
The La Liga newcomers are bottom of the table for a reason: they average just 0.5 goals scored and 1.63 conceded per match. The Copa del Rey holders also have a negative ratio, scoring 1.5 goals while conceding as many as 1.88 per game.
Previous matches: Malaga - Real Sociedad
The current hosts had won two games in a row. However, in 2024, they lost 0-1 at home in the cup.
The visitors are gradually finding their rhythm. They should be able to beat an opponent of this level, but we will use the "0" handicap (odds – 1.6).
Malaga - Real Sociedad: key statistics and trends
- Malaga have not won a match this season
- 50% of Malaga's matches end with both teams scoring, while the average total goals per match is 2.13
- Real Sociedad have won four of their last eight matches
- 63% of Real Sociedad's matches end with both teams scoring, while the average total goals per match is 3.38
Malaga - Real Sociedad: possible starting lineups
Malaga play in a 1-4-1-4-1 formation (possible lineup): Herrero - Salinas, Berrocal, Recio, Garrido - Rodriguez - Munoz, Lorenzo, Dotor, Larrubia - Jauregui
Real Sociedad play in a 1-4-4-2 formation (possible lineup): Remiro, Martin, Beitia, Gomez, Aramburu, Soler, Guedes, Gorrotxategi, Ochieng, Sucic, Oyarzabal
Follow the Spain La Liga standings and check your team's form before betting on the next match
