Salzburg and Real Sociedad will meet on matchday 2 of the UEFA Champions League group stage on October 3, 2023. Salzburg and Real Sociedad are two evenly matched teams, both looking to make their mark on the UEFA Champions League in the 2023/24 season. Salzburg is the reigning Austrian champions, while Real Sociedad finished sixth in La Liga last season.
Speaking after their notable 2-0 victory at Benfica on Matchday 1, Salzburg coach Gerhard Struber said: “We played a very good game, but we have to stay calm. Our aim is to play in Europe after the winter. We want to improve in this competition from game to game.” The Austrian side have continued their European journey after the group stage in each of the last six seasons but only once in the Champions League. A six-point haul after two games would give them a huge chance to reach the last 16 of this competition for the second time
Salzburg
Salzburg are a young and dynamic team with a lot of attacking talent. They are known for their high-pressing style of play and their ability to score goals in bunches.
Salzburg’s manager, Matthias Jaissle, is a young and ambitious coach. He has been in charge of the club since 2021, and he has led them to two consecutive Austrian Bundesliga titles.
Key Salzburg players:
Noah Okafor
Karim Adeyemi
Brenden Aaronson
Nicolas Seiwald
Maximilian Wöber
Recent Salzburg match analysis:
Salzburg have won their last five matches in all competitions, including a 2-1 victory over Chelsea in the first match of their Champions League group stage campaign.
Last five-game:
Form: WWLWDW
Most recent result: Austria Lustenau 0-4 Salzburg, 30/09, Austrian Bundesliga
Austrian Bundesliga table
Next Champions League game: Salzburg vs Real Sociedad, 03/10, Group D
Salzburg won their second consecutive away game by a 4-0 scoreline after defeating Austria Lustenau. They have lost just one of their last nine games in all competition
Real Sociedad
Real Sociedad are a well-organized and disciplined team with a good mix of experience and youth. They are known for their strong defense and their ability to counterattack effectively.
Real Sociedad’s manager, Imanol Alguacil, is a very experienced coach. He has been in charge of the club since 2018, and he has led them to qualification for the Champions League for the first time in over a decade.
Key Real Sociedad players:
Mikel Oyarzabal
Alexander Isak
David Silva
MartÃn Zubimendi
Aritz Elustondo
Recent Real Sociedad match analysis:
Real Sociedad have drawn their last two matches, including a 1-1 draw with Shakhtar Donetsk in the first match of their Champions League group stage campaign.
Last five-game:
Form: WWWDLW
Most recent result: Real Sociedad 3-0 Athletic Club, 30/09, Spanish La Liga
Spanish La Liga table
Next Champions League game: Salzburg vs Real Sociedad, 03/10, Group D
Takefusa Kubo struck his fifth goal in seven league outings this term as La Reale won the Basque derby on Saturday
Match prediction
This is a very difficult match to predict, as both teams are evenly matched. However, Salzburg are in better form and they have the advantage of playing at home. Therefore, I predict that Salzburg will win the match 2-1.
Did you know?
La Real are without a win in their last 11 Champions League group stage matches (D5 L6), stretching back to a 2-1 victory at Galatasaray in September 2003.
