Introduction

A key La Liga encounter is set to take place at the Reale Arena in Donostia-San Sebastián as Real Sociedad play hosts to Alaves on January 2, 2024. Real Sociedad will be looking to solidify their standing amongst the top sides, while Alaves aim to steer clear from the relegation zone. It's a game with significant implications at both ends of the table.

Match Analysis

Real Sociedad have been a tough side to break down, maintaining three goalless draws in their recent fixtures in all competitions, which includes a commendable stalemate away at Inter. Their defensive stability is the foundation for a recent run that witnessed them concede just once over five games. Impressively, they've managed to score seven times in their last five league outings reflecting well on their balanced approach.

On the contrary, Alaves's form has dipped, given their three defeats and a draw in the most recent league contests. Scoring has been a challenge, evident by notching just one goal in the last four La Liga matches. The defence has also shown vulnerability, conceding multiple times against the likes of Girona and Real Madrid.

Recent form

Looking deeper into the recent run, Real Sociedad's form reads as DDWDW, reflecting a side that is hard to defeat. This tenacity has earned them a respectable 6th place in the standings. Alaves's recent form of LLLDW paints a less rosy picture. Sitting in 16th place, every point is precious, and they'll be longing for a repeat of their Copa del Rey goal frenzy against Deportivo Murcia, though replication of this feat in the league seems to have eluded them so far.

Head to head

- Real Sociedad have consistently outperformed Alaves in their recent head to head fixtures, with 4 wins in the last 5 meetings, including a friendly.
- The last bout between these two at the Reale Arena ended in a narrow 1-0 victory for the hosts.
- Alaves have struggled for goals, failing to score in 3 out of the last 5 encounters.
- The head to head record indicates a heavy leaning towards Real Sociedad, who seem to have an upper hand in these fixtures.

Prediction

Given Real Sociedad's balanced play and defensive solidity coupled with their 6th place standing, they come into this match as the favourites. Alaves's difficulties in finding the back of the net and their porous defence only exacerbate this prediction.

For a full-time score, I would suggest a comfortable 2-0 win for Real Sociedad. Betting tips could lean towards Real Sociedad with an Asian handicap, considering their recent form and head to head dominance. With scarcity of goals in Alaves's games, under 2.5 total goals could be another logical bet. However, given Alaves's tendency to concede, one could also explore Real Sociedad to score over 1.5 goals for added value. Both teams to score seems less likely, making 'No' on BTTS a good addition to your betting slip.