La Liga: Will Real Madrid Finally Usurp Barcelona at the Top?

Real Madrid vs Real Sociedad

Real Madrid have a chance to finally overtake Barcelona at the top of the La Liga table after weeks of being in second place. If they defeat Real Sociedad at the Bernabeu on Saturday night, and Barcelona drop points against Girona on Monday, Los Blancos will be the one-seed when it’s all said and done in Matchday 24.

Alvaro Arbeloa has turned things around for his side since their embarrassing loss to Albacete in the Copa del Rey Round of 16 last month, as he is on a seven-game winning streak in the Spanish top-flight. Without a game in midweek for the first time in a long while, Real Madrid have all the time to prepare against La Real.

Real Sociedad are also undefeated in their last six league matches. As a result, Pellegrino Matarazzo’s men improved to eighth in the standings and are only three points adrift of the Top 6.

 

Talking Points

Who will join Mbappe in Real Madrid’s final third?

Real Madrid head coach Alvaro Arbeloa had to be creative with his lineup, as he was missing several key players in their 2-0 win against Valencia last time out. Instead of going with their usual 4-4-2, he went with a 4-1-2-1-2, with Kylian Mbappe and Gonzalo Garcia up front, Arda Guler in the attacking midfield role, and Eduardo Camavinga, Fede Valverde, and Aurelien Tchouameni forming a three-man midfield.

Alvaro Carreras scored the first goal for Los Blancos to give his team the lead for good, while Mbappe put the final nail in the coffin in stoppage time. Mbappe now has 23 goals in 22 La Liga games and is in form. He and Carreras should continue to draw starts, given their solid performances.

Vinicius Jr. served his suspension against Valencia, but he should be available this Saturday, and he will aim to reclaim his place in the final third. If this is the case, Arbeloa will likely revert to their 4-4-2 formation, relegating Garcia to the bench. 

Real Madrid will continue to be without several key players against Real Sociedad, as Eder Militao, Jude Bellingham, and Rodrygo remain on the sidelines. This will mean more opportunities for youngsters Franco Mastantuono, Jorge Cestero, and David Jimenez.

 

Guedes steps up for Real Sociedad

While Real Madrid have had a full week to rest, Real Sociedad are coming off a narrow 1-0 first-leg win against Athletic Bilbao in the Copa del Rey semi-finals yesterday.

Goncalo Guedes, who was marauding inside the penalty box, received a lovely through ball from Carlos Soler, and the Portuguese winger chipped the ball over the outstretched hands of goalkeeper Alex Padilla. The ball fortuitously fell into the feet of Benat Turrientes, who tapped the ball home for the win. 

With his assist last night, Guedes registered his eighth goal involvement in nine matches for La Real in 2026 across all competitions (four goals, four assists), with only Fermin Lopez and Kylian Mbappe as the only Spanish top-flight players to have more.

 

History

Real Madrid won 2-1 against Real Sociedad in the reverse fixture last September at the Anoeta Stadium. Kylian Mbappe unsurprisingly opened the scoring in the 12th minute before Arda Guler added a second before halftime. But they had to weather the storm of being down by 10 men after Dean Huijsen’s red card. Mikel Oyarzabal scored a second-half penalty to prevent a shutout loss at home.

These two teams faced off four times last season, with Real Madrid winning three and drawing one. The draw took place in April 2025, as both sides scored four goals in the second leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final tie. However, Los Blancos’ 1-0 win in the first leg made all the difference, and they eventually lost to Barcelona in the final (3-2).

 

Betting Tip

The La Liga 2026 odds favour Real Madrid to beat Real Sociedad and take the top spot for at least a few days this weekend. Los Blancos are 1.34 favourites to take maximum points, whereas La Real are big 6.40 underdogs, and a draw is at 4.96 in the 1X2 market.

Both teams should be featured on this week’s La Liga 2026 highlights reel, with Kylian Mbappe being the top draw. Besides our recommended bet, SBOTOP punters may also add Under 3.50 at 1.70, Under 3.25 at 1.91, and Under 3.00 at 2.20 to the parlay. On the other hand, the Correct Score of 2-1 in favour of Los Blancos – the result of their reverse fixture – offers a tidy payday of 8.40 your bet.

   

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