Valencia vs Real Sociedad: La Liga Prediction (16.08.2025)

In the early hours of Saturday, August 16, at 20:30 CET, at the Mestalla Stadium in Valencia, the home team will host Real Sociedad from San Sebastian in the opening round of La Liga 2025–2026. Last season, both teams finished 12th and 11th respectively, with the same points total of 46.

These are indeed evenly matched sides, so in the Valencia vs Real Sociedad clash, bookmakers give almost equal chances to both teams, considering a draw a very likely outcome. Odds for a Valencia win are 2.83, for a draw 2.77, and for a Real Sociedad win 3.10. Football analysts do not expect many goals from these teams: over 2.5 goals is priced at 3.00, while both teams to score is at 2.25.

Valencia

This summer, Carlos Corberán’s side received significant reinforcements. For the main goalkeeper position, they loaned Julen Agirrezabala from Athletic Bilbao. The midfield was strengthened with the arrivals of Baptiste Santamaria from Rennes and Filip Ugrinic from Young Boys. The most high-profile transfer was the signing of Dutch forward Arnaut Danjuma from Villarreal, who has struggled to find his form after his successful seasons in 2021–2023. It will be interesting to see how these newcomers fit into the “Orange” squad and whether Valencia can rise above mid-table status in the coming season.

Real Sociedad

The Imanol Alguacil era at Real Sociedad, which lasted since 2018, has come to an end. Last season’s results showed the team needed changes. An 11th-place finish is below the club’s expectations. Now, the head coach role has been taken over by Sergio Francisco, who has worked for ten years with the club’s reserve and youth teams. Over the summer, management brought in several players on loan, but their relatively quiet activity in the transfer market suggests the new coach is mainly relying on the club’s internal potential.

Stats and Head-to-Head Record

Since 2022, the teams have met seven times. Real Sociedad leads in wins with a 3–2 record. Last season, Real Sociedad won 3–0 at home, while Valencia responded with a 1–0 victory at Mestalla.

Prediction

Since bookmakers expect a low-scoring match, we’ll take a different approach. Valencia have strengthened their attack in the off-season, while Real Sociedad will be eager to impress under their new coach. The best option is to bet on over 1.5 goals at odds of 1.66.