Preview: Real Sociedad vs. Getafe - prediction, team news, lineups

Real Sociedad head into Sunday's encounter with Getafe on the back of finally ending their winless streak in La Liga with victory over Celta Vigo.

While the home side sit in fifth position in the standings, Getafe are now four points clear of the relegation zone after their recent resurgence.

Match preview

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Real Sociedad ended 2021 with a four-match losing streak, a run of results which had the potential to leave them cut adrift in the race for the Champions League.

However, the Christmas break came at the right time for Imanol Alguacil and his squad, who have responded by collecting four points from fixtures against Alaves and Celta Vigo.

Los Txuri-Urdin would have hoped for a maximum return, but it is at least a step in the right direction, further helped by their form in the Copa del Rey.

Sociedad got the better of La Liga champions Atletico Madrid earlier this week, Adnan Januzaj and Alexander Sorloth getting on the scoresheet to earn their side a significant win.

Now four games unbeaten in all competitions, Alguacil will expect his team to extend that run against Getafe, potentially earning a return to the top four in the process.

That said, their opponents have been excellent over the last four matches, their only defeat coming by a 1-0 scoreline away at second-placed Sevilla.

Quique Sanchez Flores has instigated a change in fortunes at Coliseum Alfonso Perez, his team winning three home games in succession against Osasuna, Real Madrid and Granada.

Borja Mayoral marked his debut as a substitute with a goal, and the Real Madrid loanee has a major part to play over the coming months as Azulones attempt to remain out of trouble.

Although they have created some distance between the bottom three, two of Getafe's next three games are away at Sociedad and Atletico Madrid, ensuring that complacency will not become a factor in the short term.

Team News

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With a three-day turnaround to contend with, Moreno will assess the fitness of his Getafe players before making a decision on a starting lineup.

Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Moreno could stick with the team which defeated Getafe, but Mayoral has done himself no harm in trying to earn a first start with his contribution last time out.

Of the other players who were introduced towards the end of that contest, only Florentino has a realistic chance of earning a recall.

With Mikel Merino serving a one-match ban, Alguacil must decide whether to replace the Spaniard with Martin Zubimendi or Rafinha.

Andoni Gorosabel and Diego Rico are alternatives in the full-back positions for Sociedad, but changes may be few and far between after the win over Atletico.

Forward Alexander Isak remains sidelined with an ankle injury.

Real Sociedad possible starting lineup:
Remiro; Gorosabel, Elustondo, Le Normand, Munoz; Januzaj, Guevara, Zubimendi, Oyarzabal; Silva; Sorloth

Getafe possible starting lineup:
Soria; Suarez, Dakonam, Mitrovic, Cuenca, Olivera; Alena, Arambarri, Maksimovic; Unal, Ramirez

We say: Real Sociedad 2-1 Getafe

With both clubs now performing well, this has all the makings of an entertaining tussle. While we expect Getafe to be competitive throughout, we are siding with Sociedad, who could edge this contest by the odd goal in three.

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