[26-27 Spanish La Liga] Real Sociedad vs Levante (Spain) Analysis Preview Kick-off: October 25, 2026, 17:30 UTC
Real Sociedad and Levante (Spain) face each other at Anoeta in San Sebastian on October 25 at 17:30 UTC in round 10 of Spanish La Liga. Real Sociedad moved up to 5th place with three consecutive league wins, while Levante went unbeaten in their last three games after beating Athletic Bilbao. But Real Sociedad's recent goals came largely away from home, and Levante are still without an away win this season.
1. Match Overview and Current Form
In the data center standings on October 25, Real Sociedad sit 5th with 16 points from 5 wins, 1 draw, and 3 losses in 9 games. Levante are 13th with 10 points from 2 wins, 4 draws, and 3 losses. For Real Sociedad, this is a home fixture to continue their push for European qualification places. For Levante, a victory would lift them above mid-table teams to 13 points.
This Season in La Liga Standing & Points: Real Sociedad 5th, 16 pts / Levante 13th, 10 pts Home Record: Real Sociedad 2 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss, 5 goals scored, 6 conceded / Levante 2 wins, 1 draw, 1 loss, 13 goals scored, 10 conceded Away Record: Real Sociedad 3 wins, 2 losses, 12 goals scored, 11 conceded / Levante 3 draws, 2 losses, 2 goals scored, 7 conceded
Real Sociedad beat Valencia, Deportivo La Coruña, and Málaga in turn, and also won 6-0 away to Lillestrøm in the Europa League on Thursday. A common thread across the three consecutive league wins is that high scoring came alongside conceding goals. They scored at least three goals in every match but allowed two goals in each. Against Valencia, they conceded two equalisers before winning from an added-time corner, and against Deportivo La Coruña, they led 3-0 before being chased down to 3-2. Against Málaga, every time the opponents pulled within one goal on two occasions, they scored again.
It is hard to project Real Sociedad's recent scoring output directly into this game. Across eight league and Europa League matches where the data center calculated expected goals, they scored 22 goals from an expected goals figure of 11.67. Against Elche, they scored from a shot after a corner and from winning the ball in the opponent's defensive third, while against Málaga they capitalized on an opposition passing error. We cannot assume Levante will make the same mistakes, nor can we conclude that outscoring their chances at this rate will continue. Over the same eight games, their defensive record shows 14 goals conceded from 13.70 expected goals against.
Levante beat Athletic Bilbao 3-1 in their previous home match. Roger Brugué's two first-half goals came from the opponent failing to clear a low cross and losing possession in their own half. Levante reacted quickly to opponent mistakes, but their away attack has not generated enough of those situations. They have managed just two goals in five league away games this season, with an expected goals total of 2.09 across the three away games evaluated by the data center. Away to Deportivo La Coruña, their substitutes produced an equaliser, but an opponent goalkeeper mistake on the shot also played a role.
Real Sociedad also show differences depending on the venue. They scored 12 goals in five league away games this season, compared to five goals in four home games. Away to Lillestrøm and Málaga, where opponents pushed forward, they attacked the space behind the defense. At home, they drew 0-0 with Celta Vigo and created few chances until the 84th minute against Atlético Madrid. While the caliber of opponents at home was different, if Levante close down space as they usually do away from home, Real Sociedad face an attacking challenge unlike their recent lopsided away wins.
Starting selections are also important. Manager Pellegrino Matarazzo has rotated heavily between the Europa League and the league while keeping Real Sociedad's attacking structure intact. Jon Aramburu and Yangel Herrera returned to the squad for this match, though their starting status remains undecided. Luken Beitia and Álvaro Odriozola are out. Levante manager Luis Castro announced that central defender Dela will miss the match. Dela has contributed goals from attacking set pieces as well as defending. Enzo Bardeli's return timeline from a muscle injury remains unsettled, while Hugo Sotelo is available for limited minutes.
The two sides met at Anoeta in April under the same managers, with Real Sociedad winning 2-0. Jon Martin scored the opening goal from a Carlos Soler corner, and both players hold those same set-piece roles now. On the other hand, Levante's squad has changed considerably since then, so their attacking output from that meeting offers little baseline for today.
In terms of schedule, Real Sociedad play about 70 hours after their trip to Norway on Thursday night. Levante had four days of rest after their Wednesday home game. Real Sociedad also face an away trip to Athletic Bilbao and a Europa League clash with Lyon next week. How Matarazzo manages his starters and minutes could influence how the second half unfolds.
2. Matchup Analysis
Levante's initial distribution from central defense will be key early on. With Dela missing, Aïssa Mandi and Ifeanyi Ndukwe are likely to pair up again. Both featured in the recent win over Athletic Bilbao, but each played a pass under pressure this season that led directly to a conceded goal. Away to Villarreal, Mandi's wide pass was cut out, and against Sevilla, Ndukwe's short backpass was intercepted. If Real Sociedad press the center-backs' distribution inside Levante's half, how those two handle the first pass becomes vital.
Levante have counters available. Castro stressed the need to decide when to go long when facing pressure. If Mandi and Ndukwe avoid forcing short passes and send the ball forward, Real Sociedad will have fewer opportunities to win possession near the penalty area. Instead, Iván Romero and Petar Ratkov must secure those long balls, and Roger Brugué and Thiago Fernández need to win the second balls to keep attacks going. Given Levante's low chance creation on the road, escaping the press alone will not solve their attacking issues.
Key Matchups Build-up from the back: Real Sociedad's route is high pressing to cut off passes / Levante's response is choosing between short and long passes Set pieces: Real Sociedad's route is Soler's corners and Jon Martin's headers / Levante's response is aerial defending by the center-backs without Dela Second-half management: Real Sociedad's route is attacking space behind the defense when opponents advance / Levante's response is goals from substitutes while staying solid at the back
If Levante tighten their defensive lines and avoid that initial press, Real Sociedad could rely more heavily on set pieces. Soler's corners and Jon Martin's headers produced goals in both the April meeting and this season against Deportivo La Coruña. The winning goal against Valencia and the opener against Elche also came following corners. Dela's absence leaves a clear void in Levante's defending in this area. Still, Levante won their last match against Athletic Bilbao without Dela, so his absence alone does not guarantee a set-piece concession.
If Levante press higher up the pitch, chances will shift for both sides. Mikel Oyarzabal drops between the front line and midfield to link play, while Gonçalo Guedes and Orri Óskarsson make runs behind the defense. Real Sociedad exploited that space to score away to Málaga and Lillestrøm when opponents pushed up. If Levante's press cuts off Real Sociedad's first pass, they can find attacking chances even on the road. If the press is broken, their center-backs must cover the space behind them. Whether Castro sits near the halfway line as he did away to Villarreal or presses high into the opponent's half like he did away to Deportivo La Coruña will set the early rhythm.
Substitutions by both managers will carry extra weight after the opening goal. Real Sociedad won all four league games in which they led at half-time, but they conceded two goals in the second half of every one of those matches. Matarazzo replaced attacking players with fresh attackers even while holding leads to chase more goals. Levante have brought on extra attackers and raised their pressing lines when trailing. Their fightbacks against Barcelona and Sevilla, as well as the equalising goal away to Deportivo La Coruña, came from that approach.
Whether Levante's second-half response brings goals today is another question. Their only second-half away goal this season came at Deportivo La Coruña. Without Bardeli, Castro also has fewer options to reshape his midfield. Committing attackers forward leaves them vulnerable: if passes out from the back are cut out again, Real Sociedad can strike into the space behind. Conversely, if Real Sociedad fail to find a second goal and concede early touches inside the box to Brugué or Romero, their habit of conceding after taking a lead could resurface. Brugué turning opposition defensive clearances and backpass errors into goals against Athletic Bilbao offers a warning Real Sociedad must heed.
3. Final Verdict and Conclusion
Real Sociedad look more likely to win. If Levante try to build from the back with short passes, they must survive Real Sociedad's high press; if they sit deep in a compact block, they have to deal with Jon Martin attacking Soler's corners. Once Levante fall behind and push attackers forward, Guedes and Óskarsson can target the space behind the defense. Missing Dela robs Levante of a key starter in central defense and aerial duels, while Bardeli's absence narrows their second-half midfield options.
The market also leans toward a Real Sociedad victory, but we should be cautious about rating their advantage too high based on the recent 6-0 win against Lillestrøm. That match came against a different opponent under different competition dynamics. Real Sociedad conceded two goals in each match during their three-game league winning run, and they are playing roughly 70 hours after an away trip to Norway. We side with the market on the outcome, but the scoreline should account for Levante having chances to respond once behind.
We project a 3-1 or 3-0 scoreline in favor of home side Real Sociedad. We expect Real Sociedad to take the lead through pressing or set pieces, then add to their tally in the space left behind when Levante introduce attackers and push up in the second half. Levante could pull one back through Brugué or Romero capitalizing on a defensive handling error. Levante's two goals from five away matches give little reason to expect more, and a midfield without Bardeli alongside a defense without Dela will struggle to balance attacking with staying solid when trailing. If Levante sit deep from the start, bypass the press with long balls, and hold a clean sheet through the first half, the expectation of Real Sociedad pulling away by multiple goals would change.
