At 1:00 am on August 19th, Real Sociedad will host Rayo Vallecano in the first round of the 2024/25 La Liga season. Real Sociedad finished 6th last season, achieving such impressive results while competing on multiple fronts, giving the team greater aspirations for the new season. Their opponents, Rayo Vallecano, had a high-start-low-finish season, ultimately ending up in the bottom 4. Had it not been for the poor performance of teams like Cadiz, Rayo Vallecano could have easily jeopardized their future.
Alguacil, who rose through the ranks from club youth coach to Real Sociedad’s first-team manager, has steadily led the team to greater stability. As a result, Real Sociedad’s spending in the transfer market has been limited in recent seasons. This summer, the club has continued its frugal approach, achieving a slight positive balance after a few adjustments: €34.5 million for Le Normand to Atlético Madrid, €10 million for Sucic from Red Bull Salzburg, €9 million for Spanish U21 international Gomez from Manchester City, and €6.5 million for Lopez from Alaves. To date, the club has generated €11.5 million in transfer revenue. More importantly, they have retained Zubimendi, a cornerstone of their resurgence, through their emotional appeal. With the majority of their core squad intact, Real Sociedad remains a formidable force capable of challenging top teams, provided they maintain their normal performance level.
Rayo Vallecano has limited squad strength and a tight budget, severely restricting their maneuverability in the transfer market. €8 million for De Frutos from Levante and €5 million for Camello from Atlético Madrid were their two biggest expenditures this summer. Given their current personnel, it is highly likely that Rayo Vallecano will be entangled in a precarious relegation battle this season.
During the La Liga break, Real Sociedad played six friendlies, recording a record of 2 wins, 2 draws, and 2 losses. However, their victories came against J-League sides Tokyo Verdy and Gamba Osaka. All of their draws and losses were against non-top tier opponents. They drew 1-1 with Union Berlin, who narrowly avoided relegation from the Bundesliga last season, and also drew 1-1 with Alaves. Judging from their preseason performance, Real Sociedad is still a long way from their peak form. Rayo Vallecano also played six friendlies, achieving a record of 1 win, 2 draws, and 3 losses. They lost 0-2 to Guimarães, 0-5 to Heerenveen, and 0-1 to Bournemouth, highlighting problems across both their offense and defense. However, they secured their sole victory of the preseason in their final friendly, beating Premier League side Wolverhampton Wanderers 1-0.
Statistics show that the two teams have met a total of 49 times, with Real Sociedad emerging victorious in 21 matches, drawing 14, and losing 14. The last time Rayo Vallecano defeated Real Sociedad was in the 2014/15 season. In their last 11 encounters, Real Sociedad has remained unbeaten. In a way, Real Sociedad has been steadily on the rise, while Rayo Vallecano’s rankings have been declining year after year. However, after a long offseason, both teams face significant uncertainty in terms of who will be the first to regain their form. Looking at the La Liga matches that have already concluded in the opening round, the teams that were ranked in the top positions last season have not completely shaken off their holiday mode, with physical fitness and muscle vitality not fully reactivated. Despite Real Sociedad’s apparent advantage in terms of squad strength, they still run the risk of an upset if they fail to quickly get into the rhythm of the game.
Analyzing the fixture list, Real Sociedad’s first five opponents are Rayo Vallecano, Espanyol, Alaves, Getafe, and Real Madrid. The first four opponents are relatively weak, making it highly probable for them to secure at least 3 wins. This represents a favorable scheduling arrangement for the team. Rayo Vallecano’s situation is more complex, as they face Real Sociedad, Getafe, Barcelona, Espanyol, and Osasuna in their first five matches. If they fail to grasp the opportunities, Rayo Vallecano could easily accumulate a string of defeats, potentially even failing to secure a single victory.
Prior to the match, Real Sociedad manager Alguacil stated, “I’ve left Merino off the list because we’re in negotiations with other clubs, and this is the best solution at the moment. He is currently linked with Arsenal.” The departure of key midfielder Merino would undoubtedly be a significant blow to Real Sociedad.
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