Real Madrid’s quest to win a 36th La Liga title continues on Friday when they travel to Real Sociedad as they climb up the table. Los Blancos have an 11-point lead over second-place Barcelona heading into the weekend and could be a few short weeks away from clinching their first title in two years. Real Sociedad, meanwhile, are in the hunt to return to the UEFA Champions League and sit 10 points behind fourth-place Atletico Madrid with six games to go.
Here’s what you need to know before tuning in.
How to watch and odds
- Date: Friday, April 26 | Time: 3 p.m. ET
- Location: Anoeta Stadium — San Sebastian, Spain
- Live stream: ESPN+
- Odds: Real Sociedad +170; Draw +220; Real Madrid +165
Storylines
Everything’s still coming up Real Madrid, who are fresh off ousting Manchester City from the Champions League and defeating Barcelona in El Clasico. They passed those two tests by demonstrating their range, leaning into their defensive strengths against City while letting their goalscorers take center stage against Barcelona. The latter might be the case again on Friday considering the fact that they lead La Liga with 70 goals scored this season and that they have 10 goals in their last five games. Another thing that benefits the likes of Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo is that Real Sociedad have kept just one clean sheet in their last 12.
Carlo Ancelotti will have a first-choice team to pick from with no new injuries, and the benefit that they have an extra day to recover ahead of their Champions League semifinal against Bayern Munich. It might set up the opportunity for a convincing win for Real Madrid as they cruise to another La Liga title.
Prediction
This game is Real Madrid’s to lose, and considering how rare a loss for Los Blancos has been this season, there’s little reason to bet against them on Friday. Expect a fairly straightforward outing as they get closer to their first trophy of the season. Pick: Real Sociedad 0, Real Madird 2
