Also missing will be Toni Kroos (rested), while Zidane is expected to rotate as well. As such, Gareth Bale looks a little like a lone soldier for this one, just as he did last time out against Rayo. The encouraging part? That went pretty well. CURTO DE LA TORRE/Getty ImagesFor the hosts, meanwhile, Saturday's clash with Madrid has a curious feel to it. In normal circumstances, you'd expect Real Sociedad to give the men from the capital an attritional battle, given their recent history for doing just that against the elite and the upswing in form since Eusebio Sacristan replaced David Moyes.
Earlier this month, Barcelona lost 1-0 in the home of Real Sociedad to extend their nine-year winless run at the ground, while last season all three of the Spain's title contenders inexplicably fell in a hole there. "We know that it is going to be a complicated game at difficult stadium, " said Real Madrid manager Zinedine Zidane on Friday. "We will start the game knowing what we have to do: start strong. "Typically Madrid would like their chances of doing so and overwhelming the Basques, but for this clash, Zidane and Co. are heading north well below full strength. Indeed, both Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema will be absent because of injury and are in a race against time to be fit for Wednesday's crucial second leg against Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League.
"As far as we are concerned there is no lack of desire and determination to compete to our best level, " added Eusebio, refuting such a suggestion. "There is always a lot to play for. "Saying it doesn't make it true, though. Match DetailsDate: Saturday, April 30Time: 3 p. m. BST/10 a. EDT/4 p. localVenue: Estadio Anoeta, San Sebastian, SpainTV Info: Sky Sports (UK—delayed broadcast), beIN Sports (U. S. )Live Stream: beIN Sports Connect (U. )Form Lines Last 6 Results in All Competitions (most recent first)Real SociedadReal MadridD: 0-0 vs. VillarrealD: 0-0 vs. Manchester CityL: 1-2 vs. GetafeW: 3-2 vs. Rayo VallecanoL: 1-2 vs.
But here, La Real won't look much like, well, La Real. Suspended, leading forward Carlos Vela will be missing. So too will strikers Jonathas and Imanol Agirretxe. Key centre-back Inigo Martinez is also out. "It's a pity we will be without [those players] but that doesn't take away any of our keenness, " said Eusebio on Friday. Though La Real's boss is obliged to say as much, he'll also know his side has little on the line here. Twelfth in the table, safe with 42 points, Real Sociedad sit right in the middle of La Liga's we-don't-have-anything-left-to-play-for bunch, the threat of relegation gone but European places too far away.
This time, Madrid's opponents are Real Sociedad at Anoeta, and soon afterward Atletico Madrid will play host to Rayo before Barcelona tackle Real Betis in Seville. Like Take 1 and Take 2, Take 3 is a compelling scenario: six hours, three crunch matches, everything on the line, zero margin for error. For Madrid, however, Saturday's trip north to San Sebastian strikes as the trickiest of the three. In recent times, Anoeta has been something of a graveyard for La Liga's elite.
Rayo Vallecano vs Real Sociedad live score, H2H and lineups
Rayo Vallecano vs Real Sociedad Prediction, Head-To-Head