Zenit St. Petersburg put their unbeaten record in the Europa League this season on the line when they travel to Spain to take on Real Sociedad next week, with both teams still in with a chance of finishing top of Group L. The duo have dominated proceedings in the group over the last few months, with many predicting a closer encounter at the Anoeta Stadium.
Europa League – Anoeta Stadium, San Sebastian – Thursday 7th December – 20:05 UK Time
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Draw Best Odd of: 12/5 at Unibet |
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Real Sociedad
Zenit St PetersburgMatch Preview
Real Sociedad host Zenit St. Petersburg in the Europa League next week, with both teams having already ensured that they will feature in the draw for the knockout stage of the competition. Having already defeated their Spanish rivals once this season, the visitors will be looking to claim another three points in Group L, having only dropped two points in the entire campaign to date. Managers Eusebio Sacristán and Roberto Mancini are going head to head in San Sebastian, with the game set to attract a large amount of interest from both neutral fans and punters alike. For those still unsure of who to back before kick-off, be sure to check out our top betting tip below. However, let’s first take a closer look at the two teams, starting with the home side.
Real Sociedad Team News & Form
The home side come into this match off the back of an entertaining draw with Las Palmas in the Spanish top-flight, a result which leaves them seventh in the standings, just two points behind Villarreal. Meanwhile, a 1-0 win over Rosenborg in Norway last week means that Real Sociedad are now guaranteed to be in the draw for the next stage of the competition, with their only defeat in Group L so far coming in Russia against Zenit. The home side have conceded just three goals from their five matches, with the likes of Adnan Januzaj, Sergio Canales and Juanmi potentially lining up next week.
Zenit St. Petersburg Team News & Form
Rosenborg lost to rivals Spartak Moscow over the weekend in Russia, with Mancini’s men now six points behind league leaders Lokomotiv Moscow in the standings. Despite their domestic form being far from convincing, four wins from five in Europe make Zenit one of the favourites to lift the Europa League trophy come the end of the season. Attackers Emiliano Rigoni and Aleksandr Kokorin are among the leading scorers in the competition, however Mancini could well rest the duo in Spain.
Head to Head
Zenit’s 3-1 win over Real Sociedad in Russia earlier on in the season was the first ever competitive meeting between the two clubs, meaning that few conclusions can be made surrounding their head-to-head record.
Betting Odds and Predictions
Despite sitting behind their opponents in the standings, their status as the home team next week, means that it is Real Sociedad who are the narrow favourites for victory with the majority of bookmakers. Those looking to back the Spanish side for the win for can take advantage of odds of 5/4 from Skybet, while the visiting side are priced at 12/5 with Ladbrokes.
Top Betting Tip
However, our top betting tip for the match is to bet on the ‘Draw or Zenit’ market that can be found at Ladbrokes, which is available at odds 8/11 ahead of kick-off.