Football Season Guide

Real Sociedad were one of the most entertaining teams of 2019/20 and they were successful too, finishing sixth and also reaching the Copa del Rey final, which is still to be played. Leading them in attack last year was the excellent Martin Odegaard and it’s a major disappointment for Real Sociedad that his loan from Real Madrid has come to an end. But they went out and signed free agent David Silva from Manchester City, who can seamlessly fill that void in a like-for-like switch. Real Sociedad, then, will be confident of repeating the heroics of last year. They will have midweek Europa League football to contend with now and may not have added much squad depth, but their excellent academy conveyor belt can help with that. They’re still so strong in attack and have various options in those positions, while they were better in defence last year than they have been in several seasons, thanks in large part to the excellent holding midfielder Mikel Merino. If there is a weakness then it might be the propensity for injuries. Over the past several seasons, Real Sociedad have suffered more injuries than most other LaLiga clubs and this often hurts them. That was the case down the stretch at the end of last season and they’ll hope to remain fitter in 2020/21.