Aston Villa step up their preparations ahead of the start of the Premier League season on July 28 when they take on Real Sociedad at Walsall’s Bescot Stadium.

Emery Hoping for Positive Response

Unai Emery will step up Aston Villa’s pre-season campaign on Tuesday ahead of their upcoming UEFA Super Cup showdown with PSG in mid-August.

After a dominant 5-0 win over Walsall, the Villans suffered a 2-1 loss to Porto over the weekend. Offensively, they have been strong with six goals scored in their previous two. However, key stars Ollie Watkins and Emi Martinez remain unavailable after starring in the latter stages of the World Cup.

New signings Alejandro Garnacho and Joao Gomes will start, as Emery aims to find the right balance within the team following the departures of Youri Tielemans and Morgan Rogers.

Aston Villa predicted lineup vs Real Sociedad (4-2-3-1): Bizot; Cisse, Nedeljkovic, Mings, Maatsen; Bogarde, Gomes; Bailey, Buendia, Garnacho; Burrowes

Sociedad Chasing Successive Wins on English Tour

Hopes will be high ahead of Pellegrino Matarazzo’s first full season in charge at Real Sociedad after the coach led the team to Copa Del Rey success last term. However, improvement will be required in La Liga following a tenth-place finish.

Sociedad have already shown their attacking quality in pre-season, scoring three goals in their two fixtures. New signing Kazunari Kita is in contention to start.

Alvaro Odriozola remains out due to injury, and this clash will come too soon for Luka Sucic and Take Kubo, who have recently returned to training after their World Cup break. Mikel Oyarzabal, who scored five goals for Spain this summer, isn’t set to return until August.

Real Sociedad predicted lineup vs Aston Villa (4-2-3-1): Remiro; Aramburu, Martin, Pacheco, Munoz; Aguirre, Turrientes; Zakharyan, Soler, Gomez; Oskarsson

Aston Villa vs Real Sociedad Prediction

  • Safe Tip: Under 3.5 Goals
  • Odds: 1.363 (22Bet)
  • 22Bet Booking Code: 5DSNR
  • Correct score prediction: Aston Villa 1-1 Real Sociedad

Key stats:

  • Aston Villa and Real Sociedad will be without their top goal scorers from last season.
  • The Villans have scored at least once in half of their pre-season outings.
  • Real Sociedad have failed to win in two of their three friendlies.

A low-scoring encounter is expected on Tuesday, ensuring that odds of 1.363 for under 3.5 goals is a standout selection after claiming the 22Bet bonus of up to 122 $/€.

Both teams will be without their main strikers, which will limit their efficiency in the final third of the field. That is reflected by the fact that Sociedad haven’t scored more than once in two of their three friendlies, while Villa struggled to convert chances in a recent 2-1 loss against Porto.

Under 3.5 goals has been a winning selection in four of the five pre-season matches involving these teams this summer.

Aston Villa vs Real Sociedad Prediction, Value Tip

  • Value Tip: The Draw
  • Odds: 3.62 (22Bet)
  • 22Bet Booking Code: L4TNR

A draw makes plenty of appeal in this friendly since both managers are expected to rotate their teams heavily at the half-time break.

Building fitness will be the key goal for Aston Villa and Real Sociedad, especially with their pre-season fixtures coming thick and fast later this week.

There may be a disjointed feel to the game, ensuring that chances will be few and far between. Due to this, a low-scoring draw is an appealing value play.

Verdict: Under 3.5 Goals (1.363) — Aston Villa 1-1 Real Sociedad