Real Sociedad v Atletico Madrid Prediction: La Liga Match on 22.05.2022

Real Sociedad enjoy the home advantage for their match with last season’s La Liga winners Atletico Madrid when the pair clash from 17:30 GMT in a live game broadcast across planet football.

Real Madrid have already been confirmed as the 2021/22 La Liga champions, but that’s not to say the campaign is over and there’s nothing to play for. Quite the opposite as battles rage over position at both ends of the table with many exciting duels going on throughout the top tier of Spanish football.

This will be the third time Real Sociedad and Atletico Madrid have met in competitive action this season, with the rivals playing twice previously in La Liga and the Copa del Rey. Those games produced an enthralling 2-2 draw in the league followed by a 2-0 win for Sociedad at this venue in the cup, and fans want to see more of the same.

Our team of football writers preview this match, giving readers the all-important match information, updates on the form of both teams and the latest odds available to 22bet members. There’s plenty to get through as we prepare for a hectic afternoon of sport in the Spanish sun.

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Sociedad suffer a late wobble

Real Sociedad have performed better than fans could have ever dreamed this season, and, regardless of where they finish, it will be remembered as a strong campaign. The success enjoyed this season gives Sociedad a strong platform on which to build, and the coaching staff know if they can hold on to their better players and then strengthen in summer, next season could be even better.

It’s far too early for anyone to be thinking of the future as there’s still a job to do this season, and the result in this game will have a huge impact on where they finish this season and which competitions they will be playing in next season. If the players can hold their nerve in the future and keep battling for points, they could finish on a high.

The one thing that has let Real Sociedad down this season has been their consistency, with the team blowing hot and cold throughout the campaign. They have served up some cracking results when beating teams they were expected to lose to but have also fallen flat in games they were strong favourites to win, and that’s another element that must be improved upon.

Sociedad struggle for consistency

We can get a good feel for how the year has gone for Sociedad by looking closely at just two games. They lost away from home to a Levante side that were there for the beating, and Real Sociedad created more than their fair share of chances before losing 2-1 following a late penalty that was scored by Melero with 90 minutes on the clock.

That was a sucker punch on a day when Silva had scored midway through the second half to cancel an opening goal scored by Miramon on 53 minutes. But Sociedad didn’t let that loss follow them into the next game when they used home advantage to hammer Cadiz 3-0 last Thursday in what was a real show of strength and reminder of how good this team can be.

Sorloth scored first to send his team on their way, and strikes from Januzaj and Manzanera secured the points. The game was a little closer than the 3-0 final score suggests, with two of the three goals scored coming from the penalty spot, including one scored deep into stoppage time at the end of the fixture to put the icing on the cake.

Madrid lost their title

Atletico Madrid’s time at the top of Spanish football proved to be short-lived, with last season’s most impressive side failing to pick up where they left off. With Barcelona losing their best players and the pressure mounting on derby rivals Real Madrid, they will never have a better chance to successfully defend their title and make it two in a row.

Madrid lost their trophy and were forced to hand it over to their rivals Real Madrid who responded to the pressure felt by winning the league and making it to the final of the Champions League. This will go down as a poor campaign for Atletico Madrid, but they can’t have too many complaints as Real Madrid were worthy champions, putting together a long, unbeaten run.

Atletico’s main concern now isn’t winning a title they have already lost, and it’s not yet about building for next season. Their main aim now is to protect their position in the top four and ensure they are rubbing shoulders with the elite of European competition in the money-spinning Champions League, and they are right in the mix.

Real Sociedad v Atletico Madrid prediction

Two teams playing for position and a spot in next season’s European competition. Real Sociedad hoped to be playing Champions League football come September, but a spot in the Europa League is more likely, and even that hasn’t been wrapped up just yet.

Atletico Madrid’s only remaining goal for this season is to finish in the top four, finishing as high up the table and as close to the champions as possible. The efforts in the final few games will be used to show fans they are capable of better than they’ve shown this year and will be back stronger for the next campaign as they bid to win back their title.

La Liga odds

22bet members can make their predictions and place bets on the outcome of this game. The pre-match odds price Real Sociedad at 2.63 for victory, with backers of Atletico Madrid able to get their hands on 2.704. Fancy the draw at 3.3?

In addition to the match betting odds, there are also many specials. Choose between both teams to score, correct score, half time/full time, total goals, first goalscorer and more. There’s a bet for everyone in this match, and you can play using your desktop computer or smartphone.

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