Real Sociedad vs Monaco Predictions & Match Preview

Real Sociedad vs Monaco predictions and match preview for Thursday’s UEFA Europa League fixture. Read on for the head-to-head, team news, predicted lineups and fantasy football picks as La Real play host to the French side.

Real Sociedad vs Monaco Preview

Real Sociedad play their first European home game of the season as they welcome Monaco to Donostia this Thursday in the Europa League. La Real are dealing with a severe injury crisis but they continue to get good results and Imanol will be hoping their good form can continue until the international break which may offer a chance for them to get some players back fit again.

No fewer than ten first team squad members are currently carrying injuries which has left them little choice but to promote B team players into the first team set-up. 19 year old midfielder Beñat Turrientes and 21 year old winger Julen Lobete were both given surprise starts at the weekend in a “needs must” scenario but La Real were still too strong for Elche with Mikel Oyarzabal scoring a late winner.

They are 2nd in LaLiga as a result and overall it has been a fantastic start to the season but Real Sociedad do need to dig deep again here as a defeat would leave their chances of Europa League progress hanging in the balance. They made a decent start to the group with a 2-2 draw away to PSV Eindhoven but with three fairly strong sides in it, the Basques are going to have to fight hard just to make the knockout stage.

Monaco finished 3rd in Ligue 1 last season which was enough to see them into the Champions League 3rd Qualifying Round. They comfortably despatched Sparta Prague but were edged out by Shakhtar Donetsk in the Play-Off round. Coached by former Bayern boss Niko Kovač, they are a side that will have ambitions of making it out of this group and they made a winning start with a 1-0 home win over Austrian side Sturm Graz.

They’ve won two and drawn one since then, scoring eight goals in the process so this is clearly a team in decent form and they have some players that La Real’s defence will need to be wary of. Their most likely starting striker in this game will be a familiar figure too with Wissam Ben Yedder having featured previously in LaLiga at Sevilla. He has already scored 8 goals this season in all competitions.

Head to Head

• The sides have never previously met competitively.

Team News

Real Sociedad’s injury problems continue with 10 squad members currently carrying injuries. Alexander Isak and Alexander Sorloth are among them meaning young forward Julen Lobete may have to deputise again.

Aleksandr Golovin, Guillermo Maripan and Youssouf Fofana are all injury doubts for the visitors.

Predicted Real Sociedad Starting Lineup:

Ryan – Munoz, Le Normand, Elustondo, Gorosabel – Zurimendi, Zubeldia – Oyarzabal, Merino, Portu – Lobete (4-2-3-1)

Predicted Monaco Starting Lineup:

Nubel – Jakobs, Pavlovic, Maripan, Aguilar – Tchouameni, Matazo – Diop, Volland, Martins – Ben Yedder (4-2-3-1)

Real Sociedad vs Monaco Predictions

Score Prediction: Real Sociedad 1-1 Monaco

Real Sociedad overcame a poor Elche side at the weekend but with the squad stretched to the very limit and some tiredness most likely creeping in to players who keep starting due to a lack of alternatives, you worry for them a bit here. In the circumstances, a draw wouldn’t be a terrible result and would allow them to regroup and really target their two games against Sturm Graz following the international break.

Fantasy Football Picks

• Fanteam – Ben Yedder
• Sorare – Merino

LaLiga joins Sorare | UEL Match Previews