This is a battle for top spot in Group L of the UEFA Europa League. Both of them have already qualified for the next stage, it is now just a matter of who goes through as one of the seeded teams for the next round. This is also a battle between the two top-scoring sides in this season’s Europa League group stage. It should be some game and going into it, the Russians only need a point to finish top, while the Spaniards have to win. Sociedad are 15/13 to take the victory, with the visiting Zenit at 12/5.
Europa League – Anoeta Stadium, San Sebastian – Thursday 7th December – 20:05 UK Time
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Real Sociedad
Zenit St PetersburgReal Sociedad Form
So with the home side needing a win and having nothing to lose, you would expect them to press pretty hard in this one. They have home form going as well because they are on a four-match winning streak in San Sebastian in European competition, and not only that, they have scored 13 unanswered goals in that home sequence. So they may not be a bad option to back to win to nil in this one on the back of that, because the visitors may look to hold out for the draw. They have won their previous two home games against Russian opposition, part of an overall record of W3 L2 against Russian opponents. Earlier in the group stage, Real Sociedad suffered a 3-1 defeat against Zenit. With fifteen goals in their five group stage games, they are the top scorers in the group stage so far.
Zenit St Petersburg Form
Zenit have netted 14 goals in their five games in the group stage so far. They are in great European form as well, undefeated in six (W5 D1) and they will be in the next round of the competition. Zenit holds a W5 D6 L8 record against Spanish sides but only one of those wins have happened in Spain, a 3-2 victory at Valencia in the 2015/16 Champions League. They have lost all of their seven previous trips to Spain before that. They have proven with their home win over Sociedad that they are a force to be reckoned with in the Europa League this season but they did only manage a 1-1 draw at Rosenborg in their last away game in the group. It’s a tricky spot for them, play for the draw or go for the win?
Head to Head News
Their matchday two meeting this season was the first time that these two clubs had met. Zenit took the 3-1 victory, helped along in the match by a brace from Aleksandr Kokorin.
Top Betting Tips
Real Sociedad have produced some fantastic home form and it may just be enough to get them over the line. It’s likely that Zenit will try and contain and hold out for the point that they need, but Sociedad can just play for the win as it doesn’t matter if they lose or draw. The home scoring power of Sociedad can make amends for their loss in Russia earlier in the group and collect a victory.