Real Sociedad and Cadiz will be looking to build on their respective victories in La Liga last weekend when they meet in San Sebastian on Friday.
Sociedad’s Champions League campaign is over after a 4-1 aggregate defeat to PSG, and they are not yet assured of European football next season, having finished the previous matchday just one point above seventh-placed Betis.
Sociedad ended Granada’s hopes of survival by coming back twice to score an 85th-minute winner, ending a run of four straight defeats in all competitions. But they will be looking to give their fans a first home win in La Liga since late November, having drawn three and lost two of their last five at Anoeta, the majority of which came against teams in the bottom half of the table.
Cadiz are still two points from safety despite their surprise 2-0 win over Atletico Madrid, their first over a team that started the matchday in the top half of the table (5D, 9L). It was also the first win for new coach Mauricio Pellegrino (4D, 2L), who took it as vindication of the change in direction, saying that “the team is growing” but “needed a positive stimulus” to confirm it.
Their survival probably depends on improving their away form, as they are still waiting for a first away win in La Liga (6D, 8L), despite coming from behind to draw 1-1 at Vallecano in their last away game. They will take heart from having held Sociedad to a goalless draw at home just before Christmas (0-0), but a further sign of their progress under Pellegrino would be to beat Sociedad for the first time this century in all competitions (5D, 8L).
Key Players:
Mikel Merino has scored late winners in two of Sociedad’s last three home games in all competitions, while Cadiz will be looking for more from Chris Ramos, who has headed them into three 1-1 away draws in La Liga this season.
Hot stat: Cadiz have failed to score in 10 of their 12 away defeats in La Liga this season.
Prediction: Real Sociedad 2-1 Cadiz
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