| Real Madrid vs Real Sociedad | |
| MATCH | La Liga |
| DATE | 27 - 08 - 2026 |
| TIME | 12.30 AM IST |
| STADIUM | Santiago Bernabéu |
Match Preview
Real Madrid will look to build on their dramatic 2-1 victory over Espanyol when they welcome Real Sociedad to the Santiago Bernabéu in a rearranged La Liga fixture.
José Mourinho’s side needed a late winner from debutant Carlos Espi to secure all three points against Espanyol, with the 21-year-old producing a spectacular finish in the 90th minute. Madrid now turn their attention to the game that was originally scheduled for the opening weekend, postponed because several players were involved in the latter stages of the 2026 World Cup.
With Barcelona already making a strong start by beating Elche 5-0, Real Madrid will know that dropping points could prove costly in what is expected to be another fiercely contested title race.
Los Blancos have strengthened significantly during the summer, bringing in Yan Diomande, Marc Cucurella, Espi, Denzel Dumfries, Ibrahima Konate and Bernardo Silva. Mourinho is expected to be satisfied with his squad and is unlikely to make major additions before the transfer window closes.
Real Sociedad, meanwhile, suffered a 1-0 defeat to Real Betis in their opening league match. Rodrigo Riquelme scored the decisive goal in the 63rd minute, leaving Pellegrino Matarazzo’s side without a point.
La Real endured a disappointing 2025-26 campaign, finishing 10th, although their Copa del Rey triumph secured Europa League football for the new season. They have not made any major signings this summer but have managed to retain captain and star forward Mikel Oyarzabal despite reported interest from Barcelona.
The historical record heavily favours Real Madrid. Real Sociedad have won just 38 of their previous 185 meetings with Los Blancos and have not beaten them since May 2023. Madrid also won the most recent meeting 4-1 in February, while Sociedad have managed only one victory in the last 15 encounters across all competitions.
La Liga Form
Real Madrid: W — Espanyol 1-2 Real Madrid
Real Sociedad: L — Real Betis 1-0 Real Sociedad
Team News
Real Madrid remain without Eder Militao, Rodrygo, Raul Asencio and Ferland Mendy due to injury. Endrick, Thiago Pitarch and Aurelien Tchouameni are also unavailable.
Jude Bellingham is a doubt after suffering an ankle issue during the win over Espanyol and will face a late fitness test.
New signing Marc Cucurella could make his first start, while Yan Diomande is expected to begin on the bench. Kylian Mbappe will also be looking to open his goalscoring account for the new season.
For Real Sociedad, Alvaro Odriozola remains sidelined with a long-term knee injury. Pablo Marin, Jon Gorrotxategi and Goncalo Guedes are all doubts after picking up muscle problems.
Mikel Oyarzabal came off the bench against Real Betis but is expected to return to the starting XI for the trip to the Bernabéu.
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