Sociedad v Atletico Madrid predictions

Match	Date	Selection	Bet	Odds	Bet now
Sociedad v Atletico Madrid predictions Primera Division Spain, Spain	21/10/2012 21:30	full time result	Atletico Madrid win	2.10	Bet at B
Betting prediction was written by Matt

Sociedad v Atletico Madrid predictions and preview: Betting stats

Sociedad sit 13^th in La Liga with 3 home wins and 4 away defeats so far this season (W3 D0 L4). Needless to say their form is on-off (LWLWL) and at home they have so far had a 2-1 win against Celta Vigo and 2-0 wins against Zaragoza and Bilbao. Their games average 2.71 goals and only 3 have seen 3 or more goals; 4 with 2 or fewer.

Atletico Madrid are 2^nd in the league denied top spot by just one goal on goal difference, gaining 19 points so far (W6 D1 L0). Their form is the best in the division (WWWWW) and their only blip of the season has been a 1-1 draw at Levante. Away from home they followed this up with 4-2 and 1-0 wins against Betis and Espanyol respectively. Their games average 3.71 goals with 5 exceeding 2.5 goals; 2 with fewer.

Head-to-head Sociedad had plenty home wins, 10 out of 12, before 2 seasons ago. Atletico have since won the last two meetings 4-2 and 4-0 (3 of which scored by Falcao) and will look to make it 3 in a row in this fixture.

Team News and Run of Play

Sociedad are missing Agirretxe who hasn’t played for a few weeks while Atletico while the ‘hex’ surrounding Arda Turan’s time with his national side continued this week. He’s a doubt with his third injury sustained in just over a year with the Turkish selection; this time a sprained ankle.

Sociedad are unbeaten since March at home, picking up 6 wins and 2 draws in the meantime and conceding just 3 goals. They will be seemingly strong at the back and will need to be in order to tame the beast that is Falcao. Their wins so far have been solid and impressive but it’s safe to say this is their biggest test of the run. Valencia at the end of last season and the no longer dominant Bilbao at the start of this haven’t been up to the standard of Atletico.

Atletico also have an impressive record of late. They are unbeaten in 21 games in all competitions including a magnificent European Super Cup win in Monaco against Chelsea. This run stretches back 6 months and includes just 3 draws. Falcao has been a revelation in recent seasons and this is shown by his goalscoring prowess so early in this term. He is currently on a par with Messi and Ronaldo with 8 goals; his coming from just 6 appearances.

I think this game will be a very interesting one: a side dominant at home against a side dominant both home and away and not confined to La Liga victories. The key for this game is whether Sociedad can nullify the attacking threat posed by Atletico and whether the visitors can be patient enough in their build up play.

Sociedad v Atletico Madrid predictions: 1X2 betting preview

For me the side whose run is coming to an end is Sociedad. I think Atletico’s 18 goals so far this season show they are not completely reliant on Falcao and even if Sociedad can thwart him, goals will come from elsewhere and ultimately Atletico Madrid should win this game.

Take odds of 2.10 on the away win with bet365 if you agree.

Sociedad v Atletico Madrid predictions: Asian Handicap preview

For me Atletico are the winners here and since no odds for Atletico (-0.5) exceed their 1X2 price you should stick to the match market in order to find better value.

Sociedad v Atletico Madrid predictions: Total Goals preview

This is a difficult one to call for me. Sociedad’s home games average 2.33 goals whilst Atletico’s away games this season average 3 goals (mainly helped by the 6 goal game against Betis). On averages this suggests over 2.5 goals and seeing as Atletico may grab a goal or two through Falcao once again I would back the overs at 2.00 with William Hill.

If you also predict a goalfest, follow me to William Hill for the bet.