Six competitive defeats in a row against Real Sociedad, with their last home win dating back to April 2015: the historical figures clearly speak against Elche CF when they host Real Sociedad at the Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero on Friday evening. However, the current season makes this match more unpredictable than the statistics suggest. Elche are in 9th place with 14 points, just one point behind Alavés and level on points with Rayo Vallecano, while Real Sociedad are in 14th place with 12 points. The recent form of both teams shows weaknesses: Elche has picked up just one point from its last four games, most recently a 3-1 defeat to Barcelona in Montjuïc. Real Sociedad is riding a wave of momentum after its 3-2 win in the Basque derby, but had previously suffered two unexpected league defeats. Particularly interesting: Elche’s defense is struggling, with captain Pedro Bigas training separately and likely to be out, while Real Sociedad will be without Yangel Herrera (calf) and Orri Óskarsson (thigh). These absences could affect both teams, with Elche’s defense looking particularly vulnerable.
- Venue: Estadio Manuel Martínez Valero, Elche
- Date and time: 07.11.2025, 21:00
- Competition: La Liga (matchday 12)
The betting market rates the match as evenly balanced, which seems reasonable given the current form of both teams. For Elche, home advantage and courageous pressing against Sociedad’s recently shaky defense could tip the scales. Conversely, Real Sociedad’s history and individual class speak in favor of the visitors. A close game with chances on both sides is to be expected. A draw or a narrow home win are plausible results, although the absences, especially that of Bigas, could slightly shift the odds in Sociedad’s favor. Decisive factors will be game management in tight phases, conversion of chances, and stability in defense.
Elche CF Form & Record Check
Elche has picked up just one point from a possible twelve in its last four league games. The 3-1 defeat in Barcelona is symptomatic of this phase: two early goals conceded, a temporary goal from Rafa Mir, but no turnaround in the second half when Marcus Rashford sealed the deal. The situation is further exacerbated by personnel issues: Martim Neto had to be substituted at halftime due to injury, and captain Pedro Bigas also left the game injured and is expected to miss the match against Real Sociedad after being unable to train with the team this week. As the promoted team with the smallest budget in the league, a weaker phase is not entirely surprising. Despite the results, Elche remains in 9th place, five points above the relegation zone. In the cup, Elche recently won 4-0 against fourth-division side Los Garres, which should boost their confidence. It is also noteworthy that Elche have conceded relatively few goals in the second half of their last eight league games, a positive tactical pattern that offers signs of stability.
Coach Eder Sarabia is likely to stick with his usual formation against Real Sociedad on Friday evening if Pedro Bigas is ruled out as expected. Bigas trained individually on Wednesday and missed the team session after suffering a muscle injury in Montjuïc. Without Bigas, Sarabia could opt for a 4-1-4-1 system with a back three of Núñez, Affengruber and Chust. Despite a strong season, Affengruber remains only a reserve for Austria. Pedrosa would defend on the left, Neto would take over the defensive midfield and Rafa Mir would act as striker, flanked by Valera and other attacking players. The lineup remains a prediction until the final squad announcement on Thursday evening.
Real Sociedad Form & Record Check
Real Sociedad is currently in 14th place in the table with 12 points, one point behind Sevilla and one ahead of Osasuna. The team has been inconsistent recently, with two wins in their last two league games after two previous defeats. In four of their last five games, Real have both scored and conceded goals, indicating offensive output but defensive instability. Most recently, they won against Athletic Club (3-2) and Sevilla (2-1) and drew 1-1 at Celta Vigo. Their only league defeat in recent weeks was a 1-0 loss to Rayo Vallecano at the end of September. In the derby against Athletic, Jon Gorrotxategi scored his first first-division goal in stoppage time to make it 3-2. Brais Méndez and Gonçalo Guedes had previously found the net. Gorrotxategi is being praised by coach Sergio Francisco for his convincing role as a replacement for Martín Zubimendi. In the Copa del Rey, Real won 3-0 against SD Negreira. Yangel Herrera is out with a calf injury with no specific return date, while Orri Óskarsson is expected to be out until the end of December with a thigh problem. The central defense around Igor Zubeldia and Aritz Elustondo needs to become more stable in order to reduce the number of goals conceded, which has been too high recently.
Coach Sergio Francisco is likely to revert to the tried-and-tested 4-2-3-1 system that was successful against Athletic. Yangel Herrera is still out with a calf injury, and his return is uncertain. Orri Óskarsson is expected to be out until the end of the year with thigh problems. The expected lineup in a 4-2-3-1 formation: Remiro in goal, Aramburu, Zubeldia, Caleta-Car, and Gómez in defense. Gorrotxategi and Soler will play in defensive midfield. Kubo, Méndez, and Barrenetxea will play in attacking midfield behind captain Oyarzabal, who will play as a striker. Gorrotxategi could once again be the match winner after scoring a late goal against Athletic.
Elche CF – Real Sociedad Head-to-head & statistics
The record is clear: Real Sociedad have won the last five matches against Elche by at least one goal, with Elche failing to pick up a single point in that run. The most recent meeting in March 2023 ended 2-0 to Real Sociedad, while in August 2022 the Basques won 1-0 at the Estadio Martínez Valero. Four of the five games were low-scoring with a maximum of two goals. Real’s goals were mostly scored in the second half, while Elche failed to score after the break in these five encounters. The series of five defeats is likely to be mentally taxing for Elche, even if some of the matches date back to when Elche was still playing in the Primera División. However, Real Sociedad’s dominance is clear to see. Statistically and historically, Real Sociedad has the upper hand, but Elche will probably try to make amends this time for reasons of pressure and image.
