Real Madrid versus Real Sociedad match preview
This Saturday Jose Mourinho's boys will travel to San Sebastian to take on Real Sociedad with whom they sit neck and neck in the La Liga standings. After a successful mid-week match at home against Dutch
Eredivisie runners-up, Ajax, Jose Mourinho's sqaud will be looking to improve their league form, and score some goals to kick their 2010-11 into high gear.
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Real Madrid have started the league season slowly managing only a 0-0 draw away to Mallorca and struggled to a slim 1-0 victory over Osasuna last weekend. It's been goals that have been hard to come by
for Madrid as in their two league matches, and one Champions League match, their strikers have only one goal between them. That goal came from Argentine striker Gonzalo Higuain against Ajax. Of the three goals they have scored in that time, one was an own
goal off Ajax's Vurnon Anita, and the other came from the unlikely source of newly acquired fullback Ricardo Carvalho.
Real Sociedad have impressed so far this season in La Liga beating Villareal 1-0 and managing a draw 2-2 against Almeria in a match which Real Sociedad led for almost an hour before a late equalizer from
substitute striker Jose Ulloa spoiled the party.
Players to watch
For Real Madrid the men to watch are going to be those expected to start hitting the target with regularity, and they are Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo and the aforementioned Higuain. Look to
Frenchman Karim Benzema and Argentinian Angel Fabian Di Maria to see some action should Ronaldo and Higuain be unable to produce.
For Real Sociedad all traffic goes through midfielder Xabi Prieto who will sit just behind the strikers. Prieto scored the lone goal in Sociedad's victory in their opening match and is the man his team
will look toward to provide that creative spark in the middle of the field. The man who will look to further frustrate Madrid's scoring woes is Sociedad's Chilean goalkeeper Claudio Bravo Munoz who has been outstanding in Sociedad's two previous matches.
What to expect
Madrid manager Jose Mourinho has yet to get the ball rolling and wholly convince Madrid supporters that he is, in fact, the "Special One" - a nickname he has earned after achieving success in the English
Premiere League with Chelsea and by winning the UEFA Champions League with Porto, before arriving in England, and winning it again last season with Italy's Inter Milan.
Anything less than either La Liga, or Champions League, success for Madrid this season will look like a failure as Madrid fans have become uneasy being regarded as Spain's second team behind title holders
FC Barcelona. Expectations in the Madrid camp are always very high, but this season they are busting out of the stratosphere.
Real Sociedad are at home, well rested through the week, and likely very prepared for a Madrid side who are likely to bring their shooting boots. Expect Madrid to play with purpose, and for newly acquired
midfielder Sami Khedira to keep the midfield in check along with Xabi Alonso. Madrid will prove they are serious contenders with a 2-0 victory.
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