Real Sociedad vs Manchester United Predictions

• Manchester United have gone unbeaten through their last eight games in all competitions, winning six of them.
• Real Sociedad, meanwhile, have lost back-to-back games against Real Valladolid and Real Betis in LaLiga.
• The Red Devils have won five of their last seven away games, the exceptions being a loss at Manchester City and a draw with Chelsea.

Battle for top spot goes to the wire

Things looked bleak for Manchester United when they began their Europa League campaign with a 1-0 home defeat to Real Sociedad, but they enter Thursday’s return fixture knowing a win – if they score twice – would hand them top spot in Group E and allow them to skip the round of 32 next year. Erik ten Hag’s side have come a long way since that loss in September, and with the Dutchman certain to pick a strong team, they may fancy their chances of getting revenge.

United are unbeaten in eight games since a 6-3 thrashing at Manchester City, winning six of those contests. Perhaps most importantly ahead of Thursday’s contest, the Red Devils have kept five clean sheets in their last six games, only conceding via a Jorginho penalty during that run, while their away record is also good. United have won five of their last seven on the road, with trips to City and Chelsea the only exceptions, and Ten Hag has picked a strong team in every Group E game thus far.

Real Sociedad, meanwhile, have won all five of their Europa League group games, only conceding once – in a 2-1 win over AC Omonia. Imanol Alguacil’s men appear genuine top-four contenders in LaLiga, but have slipped up twice recently, suffering back-to-back defeats to Real Valladolid and Real Betis. Meanwhile, La Real have actually fared better on the road in domestic action this term, failing to win half of their six league contests at the Reale Arena.

Red Devils can claim revenge

United’s excellent run of form since their derby defeat – coupled with their strong defensive record and preference for playing on the break, means they may be worth backing to clinch an all-important win in the Basque Country.

With Ten Hag unlikely to rest the likes of Bruno Fernandes, Cristiano Ronaldo and Marcus Rashford in a bid to avoid future fixture congestion, backing the visitors to snatch top spot with a 2-0 win may be a decent play.