Our prediction for this Europa League match:
Real Sociedad
Match Time & Date:
03/10/2024
12:45 PM
Prediction: 2-1
Anderlecht
Buoyed by a 3-0 win over Valencia, Real Sociedad will look to give fans yet another reason to celebrate when they take on Anderlecht in the Europa League round 2. La Real kicked off their Europa League campaign with a 1-1 draw against Nice and they are now on a quest to record their first win of the process. All Traore, Sadiq, and Zakharyan should miss out with injuries, but there are no suspended players in the home team. Midfielder Benat Turrientes should be recalled to the starting eleven as well as fit-again ace Brais Mendez.
The Belgians, on the other hand, defeated Ferencvaros 2-1 in the opening match of their Europa League campaign. Anderlecht, though, are not regarded as good travellers and given their under-par performance in a 1-1 draw with Dender, we believe that there is a big value in betting on the home side. To make things even worse for the away team, Ecuador midfielder Nilson Angulo is banned for the match.
Highlighted Player (Mikel Oyarzabal):
Intelligence is not an attribute you will find in Mikel Oyarzabal’s stats with Real Sociedad but this tricky winger is a highly knowledgeable winger who will use both brain and feet while playing. For a player born in Eibar, who made his first steps in his hometown club, it was always going to be a choice between Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad for Oyarzabal.
La Real saw their chance and grabbed this gem of a player at a young age, helping him develop into a proper professional throughout their youth ranks. Mikel Oyarzabal has spent the entirety of his senior career with the Basque behemoths where he’d use his ability to fill in a number of positions up top much to his own benefit.
Oyarzabal’s positioning and movement are work of a tactical genius, whereas it is his nous to find details to exploit that best define him as a player. Having come through the youth categories of the Spanish national team, Oyarzabal also has a senior cap next to his name. It was in 2016 that he also represented the Basque region, scoring on his debut to cap a 3-1 win over Tunisia.
Highlighted Team (Anderlecht):
Founded on 27 May, 1908, Anderlecht are considered one of the oldest clubs in Belgium. The Paars-wit are the dominant force in the Belgian Pro League and in 2014 they won their 33rd domestic trophy. Anderlecht did remarkably well to win the UEFA Super Cup title in 1983, with the team defeating Benfica in the final of the competition.
The Belgian outfit recorded a 1-0 over the Eagles in the first leg, with the two teams playing out a 1-1 draw in the return leg. Anderlecht play their home games at Constant Vanden Stock Stadium, the venue that was opened in 1917. The stadium was renovated in 1983 and current capacity of Anderlecht’s home ground is 28 063.
The Paars-wit have long-standing rivalries with the likes of Standard Liege and Club Brugge, whilst FC Brussels were considered the club’s bitter opponents in the past. The likes of Besnik Hasi, Lucas Biglia, Filip De Wilde and Romelu Lukaku are some of Anderlecht’s notable players.
Leicester
Chelsea
Arsenal
Nottingham Forest
Aston Villa
Crystal Palace 
Milan 
Juventus 
Man City
Tottenham
Celta Vigo 
Barcelona 
