Real Sociedad vs. PSG Prediction & Betting Tips

In what promises to be a scintillating encounter, Real Sociedad are poised to take on Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League on Tuesday, with both teams eager to assert their dominance on the European stage. As PSG look to shift the focus away from Kylian Mbappé's announced departure from the club, all eyes will be on their ability to see this tie out.

Date: 05/03/2024

Kick-off time: 20:00

Location: Anoeta

For Paris Saint-Germain, the Champions League represents the ultimate test of their mettle and ambition as they seek to cement their status as one of Europe's premier clubs. Despite their domestic dominance, PSG have often struggled to replicate their success on the continental stage, with underwhelming performances and unexpected setbacks becoming all too familiar.

Under the stewardship of manager Luis Enrique, PSG have failed to live up to the lofty expectations placed upon them, with performances often failing to match the talent within the squad. The ongoing saga surrounding star player Kylian Mbappé has only added to the sense of uncertainty and instability surrounding the club, with the 25-year-old forward's impending departure casting a shadow over PSG's aspirations this season.

In the first leg of the Champions League tie against Real Sociedad, PSG emerged victorious with a hard-fought 2-0 win, courtesy of goals from Mbappé and Bradley Barcola. Despite the fairly comfortable advantage, PSG remain wary of the challenge posed by their Spanish opponents, mindful of their recent struggles in the latter stages of the competition.

With Mbappé leading the line alongside a formidable supporting cast, including the likes of Ousmane Dembélé and Randal Kolo Muani, PSG possess the firepower and quality to overcome any obstacle. However, they must guard against complacency and ensure they approach the second leg with the same focus and determination that saw them emerge victorious in the first.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, Real Sociedad enter the clash with PSG buoyed by their impressive form in the group stage, where they finished atop Group D ahead of the likes of last season's finalists Inter Milan and Benfica. Despite their relative inexperience at this level, Sociedad have proven themselves to be a formidable force, capable of holding their own against Europe's elite.

However, the tie against PSG arrives at a challenging juncture for Sociedad, who have seen their form dip in recent weeks following a strong start to the season. Despite sitting 7th in La Liga, Sociedad's aspirations of Champions League success remain undimmed, with manager Imanol Alguacil urging his side to rise to the occasion and deliver a performance worthy of their talent and ambition.

Key to Sociedad's hopes of success will be the performances of defensive midfielder Martín Zubimendi, whose composure and leadership have been instrumental in guiding the team through the rigours of European competition. With the likes of Zubimendi leading by example alongside the attacking talent of Mikel Oyarzabal and Takefusa Kubo, La Real will hope to pull off what would be an unforgettable comeback.

Real Sociedad Team News:

Real Sociedad rested all of Mikel Merino, Robin Le Normand, Hamari Traore, Mikel Oyarzabal and Takefusa Kubo to ensure they're fresh for this encounter so expect each of those faces to return to the starting lineup.

Ander Barrenetxea faces a late fitness test to determine his involvement, but Aihen Munoz, Carlos Fernandez, Martin Merquelanz and Alvaro Odriozola are all expected to miss out.

PSG Team News:

Marquinhos should return to the starting lineup after missing out at the weekend while Layvin Kurzawa, Danilo Pereira, Presnel Kimpembe, Milan Skriniar and Sergio Rico will all miss out.

Kylian Mbappé has been hauled off by Luis Enrique in both of PSG's last two games, most recently at half-time against Monaco, which has been the subject of much controversy, but the high likelihood is that he'll continue in the starting XI here.

PSG's form is good on the whole as they come into this game unbeaten in their last twenty games having won three and drawn two of their last five. Their most recent game saw them held to a 0-0 draw against 3rd-place Monaco; it was a game of two halves in which the home side saw the better of the first before PSG surged in the 2nd half and spent the majority of the 45 minutes on top, but ultimately neither side did enough to win the game.

The draw marked the second game running in which PSG dropped points after they narrowly salvaged a point in a 1-1 draw against Rennes the weekend prior, with a 97th-minute penalty from Gonçalo Ramos ultimately protecting their unbeaten run.

While this will no doubt be the strongest opponent they've faced away from home of late, they've been good on the road in recent weeks as they come into this game having won four of their last five games away from Paris.

Real Sociedad are coming into this game very out of form having won only one of their last nine games, winning one and losing four of their last five. La Real's level has dipped notably since Christmas time and they don't look like reaching that level again anytime soon so the side we saw in the group stages of this competition is probably not the same side we'll see here.

They're entering this game off the back of a 3-2 defeat away at Sevilla, with a penalty from André Silva and a late consolation goal from Brais Méndez not enough to overturn a brace from Youssef En-Nesyri and a goal from Sergio Ramos. While they did lose the game, La Real rested as many as five players who will all very likely start here so it was not a full-strength Sociedad side.

Sociedad are usually strong at home but they're coming into this game having failed to win any of their last seven games at Anoeta, losing their last three on the bounce.

We expect this game to be a highly competitive encounter with Sociedad spending their fair share of the game on the front foot. We fancy both sides to find the back of the net, with PSG ultimately wrapping the tie-up late on with a goal on the break as Sociedad push to find a winner. Real Sociedad 1-2 PSG.

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This game will be available to watch live for U.K. viewers on TNT Sports 2.

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