Real Sociedad vs. Rayo Vallecano 8/22/21 LaLiga Soccer Pick, Odds, and Prediction

Real Sociedad is hosting Rayo Vallecano at Reale Arena in round 2 of the Spanish LaLiga. Real Sociedad got demolished by Barcelona in round 1, but they have had some good moments, and I think they will have a good season. Rayo Vallecano is not a good team, and they haven’t won any of their last 4 games.

Sociedad was decent in their preseason, but they are now on a 2-game losing streak. In their game against Barcelona last week, Sociedad has had 38% of ball possession, 3 shots on goal, 3 corner kicks, 1 big chance created, and 78% of the correct passes. Sociedad was losing 3-0 in the 59^th minute, but as the game was coming to an end, Sociedad has quickly scored 2 goals, and we had ourselves a game. Unfortunately for Real Sociedad, Barcelona has scored another goal, and they ended up losing this match 4-2. Oyarzabal and Lobete are the only 2 goalscorers for Sociedad with 1 goal each. Fernandez, Monreal, Salguero, Ryan, and Illarramendi are all still injured. I know the start of the season wasn’t great for Sociedad, but they were unlucky to get Barcelona in round 1, but now it’s the time to get back on track.

Rayo has won only 1 of their preseason games, and they are now without a win in their last 4 games. In their season opener against Sevilla, Rayo has had only 25% of ball possession, 3 shots on goal, 0 corner kicks, 1 big chance created, and only 69% of the correct passes. Rayo didn’t stand a chance in this game, and after they conceded a red card in the 16^th minute, it was over. Rayo has lost this game 3-0. There are no injuries in Rayo, but Zidane is suspended because of the red card. Being the newcomer to the league is never easy, and the expectations in Rayo are low, but they would certainly love staying outside the relegation zone, and that is their only goal for this season. Rayo Vallecano will win some games, they are not a worse team than all the other weakest teams in the league, but I think their defense will be crucial, and if they can play somewhat consistently, they will be ok.

Real Sociedad is a big favorite here, and understandably so. The trends are split here, but Vallecano has lost their last 3 games on the road. Sociedad is the better team here, by far, and despite having all those injuries, I see them winning this match.