Real Sociedad vs Red Bull Salzburg Prediction 29.11.2023

• Competition: UEFA Champions League &— Group D
• Date: Wednesday, 29th, November 2023
• Kickoff: 20:00 UK / 21.00 CET
• Venue: Reale Arena (San Sebastian)

Having already secured their spot in the Round of 16, Real Sociedad is prepared to defend their Group D lead. They are set to host Austrian powerhouse Salzburg at the Reale Arena on Wednesday, in the second-to-last match of this Champions League stage.

In a surprising turn of events, even the most passionate Real Sociedad fans could not have predicted that their beloved team would secure a place in the knockout stage of the premier European competition after just four rounds. After a 1-1 draw with last season’s UCL finalist Inter on their first match, the San Sebastian club surprisingly garnered a maximum of nine points from their subsequent three European games, including two victories over Benfica (1-0 away and 3-1 at home). With two matches still left in this stage, Imanol Alguacil’s team enters the fifth matchday leading, thanks to a superior goal difference over the Milan-based team. They aim to keep this lead by scoring another three points in the mid-week match.

The Basque club is set to play against Salzburg, a team that hasn’t given up on their European spring ambitions despite having no chance of advancing to the round of 16 in the premier club competition. The team, led by Gerhard Struber, is in the Europa League spot (3rd position) going into the second-to-last round of the Champions League group stage, thanks to the three points they earned in their first four matches. Salzburg’s only three points came from their first match, where they convincingly beat Benfica 2-0 in Lisbon. If they manage to secure at least one point at the Reale Arena and Inter beats the Portuguese giant, the Austrian team will automatically qualify for the knockout stage of UEFA’s secondary competition.

Real Sociedad vs Salzburg Betting Tips: Sociedad to Win

In their initial meeting in November, Real Sociedad gave their Austrian competitors a football masterclass, securing a 2-0 victory within the first 30 minutes thanks to goals from Oyarzabal and Brais Mendez. We anticipate that this trend will continue, particularly with the enthusiastic support from the home crowd encouraging the Basque team to hold their top position in Group D until the group stage’s final day. Adding to this, Imanol Alguacil’s team enters the second-to-last round of the group stage in high spirits, after their 2-1 victory over Sevilla during the weekend. Their impressive performance at Reale Arena, with five out of their last six home matches resulting in victories, sets them up for success. The odds of a win for the Spanish team are further bolstered by the lackluster away performance of Salzburg, who have managed only one win in their last five away games across all competitions, barely scraping a 2-0 victory against the penultimate Austrian Bundesliga team, Tirol.

With a young and inexperienced team whose average age is 22, we can hardly expect that Salzburg will be able to match Sociedad, who will eagerly try to enter the crucial duel with Inter as the leader of the group. Having asserted themselves as a force to be reckoned with in San Sebastian in recent weeks, we support Alguacil’s troops to cruise to a comfortable triumph in front of their home fans.