Real Sociedad take on the visitors Real Madrid in the first leg of Copa del Rey semifinals. The match will be played on Wednesday, February 26th at Reale Stadium (San Sebastian).
Real Sociedad tries to compensate for La Liga struggles in other competitions. The Txuri-Urdin have achieved a lot under Imanol Alguacil, from winning the Copa del Rey to reaching the Champions League knockout stages. However, their domestic form has been declining—their previous upward trajectory in La Liga stalled last season as they slipped from fourth to sixth place. That downward trend has continued this campaign, with more losses than wins and a negative goal difference keeping them outside the European spots. That said, they secured a solid 3-0 victory over Leganés in their last league match. Meanwhile, in the Europa League, Real Sociedad advanced to the knockout round, and they dominated Midtjylland with a 5-2 home win after a 2-1 triumph in Denmark. Additionally, they remain in contention for Copa del Rey, having eliminated teams like Rayo Vallecano and Osasuna. Despite their inconsistent league form, Real Sociedad remains a dangerous opponent in cup competitions, and they will be motivated to prove themselves against the league leaders.
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Real Madrid, under Carlo Ancelotti, tend to alternate between dominant seasons and ones with noticeable dips in form. After winning La Liga, the Supercopa de España, and the Champions League in 2024, they have endured more setbacks this time around. To be fair, Ancelotti did add another UEFA Super Cup in the summer and the Intercontinental Cup in December, but their season has had its fair share of struggles. The most painful defeat was a heavy loss to Barcelona in the Supercopa de España final. A string of poor results in February also allowed their arch-rivals to catch up in La Liga. At least they managed to comfortably defeat Girona, scoring a goal in each half. Meanwhile, their Champions League campaign resumed with a massive Round of 16 clash against Manchester City. After edging out a hard-fought victory in England, Real Madrid finished the job in style at the Bernabéu, with Kylian Mbappé netting a hat-trick to secure their spot in the next round. With La Liga now a tight race, Real Madrid cannot afford to slip up, making this Copa del Rey fixture even more critical for their trophy ambitions.
Real Madrid has won the last three encounters between these sides, including a 2-1 victory in September. The visitors have dominated this matchup recently, and there’s little reason to expect that to change—back Real Madrid to win.
Prediction for the match: Real Madrid to win.
