Will Pellegrino Matarazzo remain unbeaten with Real Sociedad?
Sergio Francisco was given six months to prove himself as a suitable successor to long-time Sociedad coach Imanol Alguacil. He failed to impress and, after 17 points from 17 La Liga games, left behind a club in crisis, which suddenly appears to be back in top form in our Athletic Bilbao vs. Real Sociedad tip.
The sports betting comparison may show otherwise, but the visitors are in better shape in the Athletic Bilbao vs. Real Sociedad prediction. Former Bundesliga coach Pellegrino Matarazzo is credited with this. He took over from Sergio Francisco and has managed to avoid defeat so far.
If you put it that way, the Athletic Bilbao – Real Sociedad betting odds from German bookmakers would be less surprising than we currently find them. In fact, the American has won four of the five competitive games with his new club (1D).
Even this description does not fully capture the extent of the Matarazzo euphoria. The eighth-placed team took a point off Atletico Madrid (1-1), advanced to the Copa del Rey quarterfinals, and even brought Hansi Flick and FC Barcelona to their knees (2-1).
Defensively, Los Leones have struggled recently, conceding multiple goals to Mallorca (2-3) and Sevilla (1-2), two teams not necessarily known for their attacking prowess.
Athletic Bilbao – Real Sociedad Head-to-head record
This explosive Basque derby has been played 62 times since 1994. The record over this period could not be more balanced. Bilbao emerged victorious from 20 encounters, while Real Sociedad won 21 of the 62 duels during this period. Likewise, 21 matches ended without a winning team.
The recent encounters have also been close. Real Sociedad won the first leg (3-2) by a single goal. There has not been a difference of more than one goal in any match between these two clubs since 2023.
Athletic Bilbao – Real Sociedad Tip
Alongside Matarazzo, another familiar face from his Bundesliga days is sitting on the visitors’ bench. Ömer Toprak began his coaching career as Matarazzo’s assistant. The former center back expressed an interest in becoming a professional coach early on after his playing career ended. Now he accompanies the American and works for Real Sociedad.
As a former defensive specialist, he will certainly take care of the back line. Real Sociedad has only finished one La Liga game without conceding a goal this season. At least the offensive line was able to score one or more goals in 18 of 21 match days.
This makes the visitors the La Liga kings in the “Both teams to score – Yes” category. 81 percent of La Liga matchdays involving the Txuri-urdin have seen goals from both sides – yet the average remains 2.76 goals per game.
