- 1 Valencia vs Real Sociedad: two goals in six games for Los Che, and the numbers tell the story
- 2 Valencia: seven out and an attack stuck in first gear
- 3 Real Sociedad: seven points and key men heading back into the Mestalla mix
- 4 La Liga Prediction Valencia vs Real Sociedad
- 5 First, a word on our free predictions
- 6 No commitment from us
- 7 Information that can change
- 8 Your role
- 9 Responsible gambling first
- 10 Legal age
- 11 About the images…
Valencia vs Real Sociedad: two goals in six games for Los Che, and the numbers tell the story 
Valencia have scored just two goals in their first six La Liga matches. That attacking return alone explains the four points they have picked up and the miserable 18th place they now occupy in Spain’s table.
Real Sociedad arrive with seven points and sit 12th, three clear of Valencia. The gap is still slim for two clubs that expected far more this summer.
Kick-off is on Sunday 20 September at 21:00 Paris time at Mestalla, in the closing game of matchday seven. The two sides come in on the back of very different last outings.
Valencia have finally stopped the rot after beating Alaves 1-0, with Luis Rioja striking after coming off the bench. That win ended a run of four straight defeats.
Real Sociedad, meanwhile, have lost two in a row, a 0-3 home defeat to Atletico Madrid and a 1-2 loss to Bournemouth in their opening Europa League game. It has been a brutal seven days for the Basque club.
Mestalla has not seen its team win any of its three home games this season either. A 0-0 draw with Celta Vigo and defeats to Real Betis and Barcelona make up the record.
The overall head-to-head leans Valencia’s way, with 68 wins from 162 meetings compared with 53 for the Basque side and 41 draws. Recent clashes, though, have been far more open.
The last meeting, in May 2026, ended 4-3 to Valencia. The previous game at Mestalla finished 1-1.
This fixture also closes the round before the international break. Both clubs then face two weeks without competitive football.
Valencia: seven out and an attack stuck in first gear 
Valencia have one win, one draw and four defeats after six La Liga matches. That record leaves them in the relegation zone heading into matchday seven.
The bad run lasted a month, with four straight losses against Real Betis, Deportivo La Coruna, Barcelona and Sevilla. The 0-5 hammering by the Catalans remains the low point.
Their three home games so far have produced just one point. Worse, Los Che have not scored in any of them, which is the most alarming stat of their season start.
The trip to La Coruna was their only game with more than two goals, and they lost 3-1. Everything else has been painfully tight.
The win at Alaves at least changed the mood, even if it did not fix the bigger problem. Two goals in six matches is the worst attacking return in Spain’s top flight.
Luis Rioja, the matchwinner in Alaves, should earn a starting spot on the flank. Hugo Duro is expected to lead the line, with Arnaut Danjuma on the left.
The injury list leaves the coach with precious few options: Diego Lopez, Mouctar Diakhaby, Umar Sadiq, Cesar Tarrega, Dimitri Foulquier, Jose Copete and Sergi Canos are all out. Seven absentees is a brutal number, and it strips away much of the squad depth.
Three of those losses hit the defence, with Diakhaby, Tarrega and Foulquier all missing. The back line is likely to be patched together again.
The six-time Spanish champions finished ninth last season. Right now, this looks like it could be a much rougher campaign.
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Real Sociedad: seven points and key men heading back into the Mestalla mix 
Real Sociedad have two wins, one draw and three defeats in La Liga before this trip to Valencia. Seven points from six games puts them 12th in Spain’s top division.
The last four league matches look better, with two wins and just one defeat. That loss was the 0-3 defeat at home to Atletico Madrid last week.
Their results have swung wildly, from a 4-1 loss at the Bernabeu to a 2-3 win at Elche. Consistency is still missing from the Basque side.
The 0-0 draw with Celta Vigo remains the only clean sheet of the season. That matters when weighing up this game defensively.
The European setback against Bournemouth extended the slump. Pellegrino Matarazzo now heads into this trip knowing he needs to stop the slide.
The rotation used in the Europa League should, however, mean a stronger team at Mestalla. Goncalo Guedes, Luka Sucic, Carlos Soler and goalkeeper Alex Remiro are all set to return to the starting XI.
Alvaro Odriozola remains out long term after a serious knee injury, while Igor Zubeldia could miss a third straight game. The Basque defence is the area taking the biggest hit.
Mikel Oyarzabal, who was crowned world champion with Spain in 2026, has still not scored in seven appearances this season. Even so, he keeps his place through the middle.
The club finished 10th last season and lifted the Copa del Rey. That trophy earned them a spot in the Europa League.
Expected Valencia line-up: Dimitrievski ; Maffeo, Pepelu, De Haas, Gaya ; Mayol, Rodriguez ; Rioja, Guerra, Danjuma ; Duro
Expected Real Sociedad line-up: Remiro ; Aramburu, Beitia, Sarr, Gomez ; Herrera, Soler ; Barrenetxea, Sucic, Guedes ; Oyarzabal
La Liga Prediction Valencia vs Real Sociedad
Our prediction: Real Sociedad to win at Valencia
No goals in three home games – that is the big number here for Valencia. They are also without seven players, including three defenders, which leaves their manager with very little room to shuffle the pack.
Real Sociedad, by contrast, are getting Remiro, Soler, Sucic and Guedes back after resting them on Thursday in the Europa League. They also have three more points and have taken two wins from their last four league outings.
The Basque side can leave Mestalla with all three points. Back Real Sociedad to beat Valencia.
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