Copa del Rey, semi-final, 26.02.2025 at 21:30
There they are, the all-important games! Real Madrid don’t just want to win a title this season, they definitely want to win the Copa del Rey. In the first leg of the semi-final, the Whites first have to play away from home.
Their opponents are well suited to the madridistas, but anything is possible in a knockout duel with a first and second leg. So in my Real Sociedad Real Madrid betting tip, I’ll tell you why I’m taking a cautious approach and backing the “double chance X2” at under 3.5 goals.
It’s cup time again in Spain – and as we all know, there’s not just one game left in the semi-finals! Real Madrid face Real Sociedad in this round, and both teams know each other inside out.
In the last 30 years or so, this cup clash has only taken place once, with Real Sociedad coming out on top in the quarter-finals in 2020 with a completely crazy 4:3 victory. Alexander Isak was the man of the match with three goals – Madrid will be glad that he now plays soccer at Newcastle.
The last time the Whites won three times in a row against their upcoming opponents, but all three victories were very close. 2:0, 1:0, 0:2, 2:0, 0:0? The most recent duels in the Basque Country were not exactly characterized by much spectacle.
But enough of the direct comparison, let’s take a look at what Real Madrid are currently doing. Not everything is going according to plan in the Spanish capital, even if they have reached the knockout round of the Champions League against Manchester City.
In the league, they recently lost the top position to Atletico, remaining without a win three times in a row (0:1 against Espanyol, 1:1 against the Colchoneros and 1:1 against Osasuna). This streak was thankfully ended again in the recent 2-0 win against Girona.
But I can say this: Four of the last seven away games were not won, two even lost. How did they fare in the Copa del Rey, after all Real have already survived three rounds?
After the 5:0 against Minera in round 3, the dreams of a cup triumph were almost over! Although the scoreboard showed a 5:2 win against Celta Vigo, the victory was only secured after extra time.
The next drama then took its course against Leganes. The score was 2:2 when Gonzalo Garcia scored in the third minute of stoppage time. So the Whites went through twice in a row, and word must have got around in San Sebastian.
It’s interesting to note that Real Madrid have only failed to reach the semi-finals once since 2006, otherwise sooner or later. Back then, in 2019, their opponents were FC Barcelona, who were even stronger.
I don’t need to tell you at this point that you should never underestimate Real Sociedad. The Basques are having a mediocre season and are in mid-table.
Four defeats and a narrow win against Espanyol Barcelona – that was the poor record they had against Leganes on Sunday. The result: 3:0, which was good for the battered soul.
Despite this, they are still averaging less than a goal a game, which of course won’t scare Real Madrid. If they don’t score at all on Wednesday, you can pick up odds of 2.72 at Betano – with the Betano bonus on top. How did the team perform in the Copa del Rey? They almost went out in the 2nd round!
The 5:0 win against Jove Espanol didn’t really burn, but UB Conquense proved to be a tough nut to crack. They went on to beat Ponferradina 1:0 after extra time, who were also no match for them, 2:0 in the 3rd round.
In the end, the opponents became tougher and the results curiously stronger. 3:1 against Rayo Vallecano and 2:0 against Osasuna, teams from the same league seem to suit Real Sociedad!
In the last two games, they took the lead in the first half, but it would be a little presumptuous to expect the same against Real Madrid.
Does Real Madrid have the upper hand against Real Sociedad? Recently, the Whites have relinquished control of the game away from home, and in the cup they were lucky against both Leganes and Celta Vigo.
However, Real Sociedad are by no means an overpowering team, quite the opposite in fact. The Basques play quite defensively, scoring less than one goal per match on average in the league.
The last direct duels that have been played in San Sebastian have not exactly been characterized by spectacle. The bottom line is that I have decided to back the following bet:
With a maximum of three goals, the Madrilenians will not leave the pitch as losers.
