Real Sociedad vs Napoli predictions and match preview for Thursday’s game in the UEFA Europa League. Read on for analysis as two of the strongest teams in the competition clash in Donostia.
- DATE: Thursday 29th October 2020
- KICK-OFF: 21:00 (local time)
- VENUE: Anoeta
- COMPETITION: UEFA Europa League (Group Stage)
Real Sociedad vs Napoli Preview
This is perhaps the standout fixture across all of matchday 2 in the UEFA Europa League group stage. Real Sociedad are riding on the crest of a wave right now and they will take plenty of belief into this game against Italian giants Napoli, who are under pressure already in this competition having lost their first match in the group.
La Real won theirs, with Jon Bautista the unlikely match winner with a 93rd minute goal in Croatia last week to seal a 1-0 win over Rijeka. Imanol’s side will feel as though they should have made their dominance count earlier than that. They had no trouble finding the back of the net at the weekend though with a very impressive Second Half performance seeing them put four goals past Huesca.
Just about everything is going right for Real Sociedad at the moment with their defence looking more assured this term with the likes of Robin Le Normand and Andoni Gorosabel taking their chances in the team. The midfield is full of quality and with David Silva starting to link up well with the likes of Portu and Mikel Oyarzabal, La Real fans have genuine reason to be excited by what their team could achieve this season.
They are up against a Napoli side that will be desperate to get a result here. The Italians were left stunned last week by a 1-0 home defeat against AZ in their opening group game and another defeat in what is their toughest group fixture, would leave the Serie A giants staring down the barrel of an unlikely early exit from the competition.
In recent years, they have grown accustomed to competing in Europe’s premier competition and they approached this campaign as one of the favourites to win this competition. They’ve made a strong start to their domestic season though, winning 4 of their opening 5 games in Serie A whilst firing in 14 goals in the process.
Head to Head
- The sides have never previously met.
Real Sociedad vs Napoli Predictions
Score Prediction: Real Sociedad 1-1 Napoli
All clubs in this competition will face something of a balancing act in terms of team selection with the games coming thick and fast between now and the new year. Napoli are likely to name a stronger side than they would have wanted following defeat in their first fixture and it will be a tough test for La Real. It’s the kind of fixture where both teams may ultimately settle for a point.
UEFA Europa League Betting Tips (18+)
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Read our latest Champions League & Europa League match previews.
