Real Sociedad prepares for a European challenge at home, facing Union Saint-Gilloise at the Den Dreef stadium in Leuven. The match, scheduled for this afternoon, represents a crucial opportunity for Mikel Arteta's team to recover points after the 3-0 defeat against Bournemouth in their Champions League debut. The Txuri Urdin are looking to consolidate their position in the Champions League table and secure a place in the top 8, which would allow them to avoid the extra round of playoffs and improve their qualification prospects.
Union SG, who played in the Champions League last year, have remained solid in the Belgian competition, with 19 games unbeaten at home. La Real, for its part, has shown a solid performance in the group stage, with a resounding victory over Plzen and an almost impenetrable defense. However, Real have never managed to beat a Belgian club, and the match in Leuven will be the opportunity to break that statistic. The pressure will be high, since a negative result would force Real to add almost all the remaining points in the group stage to stay in the qualification zone.
Manager Mikel Arteta has decided to take advantage of the availability of his key players. Óskarsson and Marchal have been recovered for the match, while Beitia and Carrera will not be available. Arteta also plans to make changes to the lineup, possibly fielding Oyarzabal again after his break against Deportivo. The right back will be a point of uncertainty, since Aramburu and Beitia will not be available. The coach is expected to evaluate the possibility of including Fort, who is not yet 100% fit, to preserve his availability for the next match against Malaga.
In defense, Jon Martín and Sarr are expected to repeat in the center of the defense, while the unwavering Sergio aims to maintain ownership. In the midfield, the coach could maintain the trio of Yangel, Soler and Sucic, although the possibility of introducing Gorrotxa and Turrientes is being considered in case the performance is not as expected. Up front, Zakharyan will probably not be part of the starting XI, while Kubo and Ochieng could take the places of Barrene or Guedes, although the final decision is unclear.
The match promises to be demanding and will require that the substitutes be prepared to measure up. Real Sociedad seeks not only to score points, but also to demonstrate its ability to finish home games and advance in European competition. The result of this match will be decisive for their position in the group stage and for the planning of the next matches of the season.