In the La Liga clash at the Reale Arena this Friday evening, a struggling Real Sociedad and a relegation-threatened Girona will face each other head-on, two teams for whom every point counts. Sergio Francisco’s team is in 14th place with 16 points, sandwiched between Sevilla and Osasuna, and is coming off two consecutive league defeats, including the derby loss in Vitoria. Girona travels to the game in 18th place in the table, four points behind La Real, after a 3-0 setback in Elche and a surprise Copa del Rey exit in Ourense, which has added to the pressure in the relegation battle. History clearly favors the hosts, as Real Sociedad has never lost to Girona in the league and also won the most recent matchup in May 3-2. Girona comes to San Sebastián with an injury-plagued attack and, following the Livakovic incident in Montilivi, continues to have an unresolved goalkeeper crisis, which adds a special tension to the game.
- Venue: Reale Arena, San Sebastian
- Date and time: December 12, 2025, 9:00 p.m.
- Competition: La Liga (Matchday 16)
Betting on Real Sociedad to win corresponds to a market that prices Real Sociedad to win at odds of around 1.7, but Girona’s poor away form, defensive absences such as David López, and the controversy surrounding Livakovic suggest that this price could even be on the high side. The real value, however, lies in the goal bets, as Girona usually scores early, Real Sociedad often concedes, and recent patterns suggest both teams will score and there will be more than 1.5 goals in the second half.
Real Sociedad Form & Record Check
Real Sociedad goes into this La Liga match against Girona with noticeable unrest. Two defeats in their last three league games, at home to Villarreal and away to Alaves, have left the club in 14th place with 16 points and a goal difference of minus three. The table is tight, with only one point separating them from Sevilla and one from Osasuna, which falls well short of the expectations of a club that is actually talking about Europe. What is striking is a strange split personality in recent performances. They have failed to score in the first half of their last five games, with all matches going into the break with less than two goals, but in four of those games Real Sociedad scored after the break and never lost the second half. The problem is that the damage is often already done before they get into the game. At the same time, the 3-1 win in Pamplona and the professional 2-0 performance in the Copa game at Reddis remind us that once this team gets going, it can still be clearly superior against smaller or direct rivals. Interestingly, the team currently seems to cope better when games open up, while it struggles at Anoeta to patiently build up against compact defenses. The context for this form is clear: Sergio Francisco is without Oyarzabal, Oskarsson, and Herrera, and Zubeldia has not yet trained, so there is a lack of balance and leadership in both penalty areas. Kubo himself has admitted that he is far from his best form, Sadiq has just scored again in the cup, and Karrikaburu is coming back from injury, so the attack seems improvised from week to week at the moment.
Real Sociedad are expected to stick with the familiar 4-1-4-1 system from our prediction, with Remiro in goal and a back four of Aramburu, Elustondo, Caleta Car, and Sergio Gomez. Gorrotxategi is likely to operate as the lone defensive midfielder, behind an attacking line of Kubo, Mendez, Soler, and Guedes, while Sadiq will once again serve as the reference point in attack. Given the injuries to Oyarzabal, Herrera, and Oskarsson, as well as the continued absence of Zubeldia, this expected structure fits well with the available options. Elustondo and Caleta Car form the natural center-back pairing, with Gorrotxategi covering them and Mendez and Soler given more space between the lines. Kubo and Guedes could move into the half-spaces more, while Karrikaburu is likely to be available as a fresh option from the bench. All of this remains a projection and not a definitive team sheet, as Sergio Francisco will only confirm his starting eleven on match day, and late fitness reports could still change one or two positions.
Girona Form & Record Check
From a team that reached the Champions League last season, Girona has now become a team that travels to Real Sociedad in a pure fight for survival. The club is in 18th place in La Liga with 12 points, still in the relegation zone, with a goal difference of minus 16, two points behind Mallorca and two points ahead of Oviedo. The decline in performance around Montilivi is greater than anyone there could have imagined. Recent results underscore this instability. Girona defeated Alaves 1-0 at Montilivi, then played 1-1 at Betis and 1-1 at home against Real Madrid, a series of three league games that seemed to lay the foundation for progress. Instead, they were eliminated 2-1 from the Copa del Rey by Ourense CF and then suffered a 3-0 defeat at Elche, a serious setback. A clear pattern emerges from the last five games in all competitions. Girona often start well, scoring in four first halves, but fail to find the net after the break and concede goals in the second half in four games, most of which end with at least two goals in total. One gets the impression that fatigue and nervousness are reinforcing each other and hurting the team, especially in the closing stages. Injuries and problems in goal further exacerbate this vulnerability. Míchel has recently had to do without key players such as Juan Carlos, Krapyvtsov, David López, van de Beek, Portu, Abel Ruiz, and Stuani, which significantly limits his options for substitutions. At the same time, the Livakovic case, who has refused to play, puts Gazzaniga under particular pressure and means the club urgently needs to find a new goalkeeper, a situation that has a direct impact on the team’s current form.
Girona are expected to stick with Michel’s usual 4-2-3-1 formation, with Gazzaniga in goal as the situation surrounding Livakovic effectively rules him out. Martínez, Francés, Blind, and Moreno are likely to start again in the back four, with Witsel and Martín providing structure in the double six. Up front, Tsygankov and Gil will occupy the wings, Ounahi will operate between the lines, and Vanat is the likely target man in the center. The forecast is heavily influenced by the long injury list, with Krapyvtsov, Juan Carlos, López, van de Beek, Portu, Ruiz, and Stuani all out, leaving both sides short on depth. Lemar and Asprilla appear to be options from the bench if Girona need to be more offensive, while Solís or Kourouma could come into play if Míchel prefers a more cautious midfield with more cover instead of Ounahi as a pure playmaker.
Real Sociedad – Girona Head-to-head & Statistics
Since 2023, Real Sociedad and Girona have played five league games, with a clear trend in favor of Real. The Basques are undefeated in this series, with two wins and three draws, while Girona are still waiting for their first win. The most recent meeting in May 2025 ended 3-2 to Real at home, following a 1-0 away win in Girona in 2024. Despite this turnaround, the encounters have been very close overall. From 2023 to 2024, the teams played three consecutive draws with the results 2-2, 1-1, and 0-0, which shows how close the duels are. In the five-game period, three games ended in a draw, the other two were decided by just one goal each, and there were no clear victories. Real scored in four of the five matches, Girona conceded goals in just as many games, and both teams scored in three matches, including the 3-2 and 2-2 draws, although Girona failed to score in two home games. The only time Real failed to score was in the 0-0 draw in 2024, which puts their offensive superiority in head-to-head matches into perspective. The pattern within the games is equally revealing. Real tend to strike early, scoring in the first half in four of the five encounters, while Girona have often found themselves chasing the game and have not won at halftime in this series. After the break, the games become much tighter, with the last four second halves containing no more than one goal each and most of them ending in draws. Real Sociedad are unbeaten both at home and away during this period, giving them a clear psychological advantage ahead of the next chapter in this rivalry, while Girona’s struggles to take an early lead and their mostly quiet second halves suggest that a more courageous approach is needed if they are to finally turn the tide.
