Valencia vs Real Sociedad

Valencia face Real Sociedad in La Liga on Sunday 20 September 2026 at Estadio de Mestalla in Valencia, having failed to score a single home goal in the competition this season.

Valencia host without a home goal and missing eight

Valencia sit 19th in La Liga with four points and a goal difference of minus eight from six matches. At Estadio de Mestalla, they have lost twice and drawn once across three league outings, conceding six goals without finding the net. Overall, Valencia have scored twice in six league games.

Defensive options are severely limited. C. Tarrega, D. Foulquier, D. Lopez, J. Copete, and M. Diakhaby are all ruled out through injury. In attack, S. Canos and U. Sadiq are sidelined, while L. Rioja is doubtful. Over their last five games with chance data, the home side have averaged 0.77 expected goals created while conceding 1.69.

Real Sociedad arrive on back-to-back losses

Real Sociedad are 13th in the table with seven points from six matches, having conceded 11 goals. They arrive at Estadio de Mestalla following two straight home defeats: a 3-0 loss to Atletico Madrid in La Liga on 13 September 2026 and a 2-1 defeat against Bournemouth in the UEFA Europa League on 17 September 2026.

Away from home in La Liga, Real Sociedad have one victory and two defeats, scoring four and conceding seven. Top scorer Luka Sučić leads the side with two goals in all competitions. A. Odriozola and I. Zubeldia are out with injuries. Over their last five games with chance data, Real Sociedad have created 1.01 expected goals per match and allowed 1.28.

Our model leans towards a Real Sociedad win

Our forecasting model leans narrowly towards a Real Sociedad win. Valencia's lengthy injury list and their record of zero goals at Estadio de Mestalla support that direction, though Real Sociedad's run of back-to-back defeats and a defensive record of 11 goals allowed from six league matches keep confidence low.