Real Madrid will face Real Sociedad on Saturday evening at the Santiago Bernabeu, and a winner would obtain a significant advantage in an enticing La Liga title race.
Before the November international break, Real Madrid were running quite the streak of clean sheets, including a 6-0 win over Galatasaray in the Champions League and a 4-0 blowout of Eibar in La Liga. However, Real are still in second place behind FC Barcelona in the league standings due to a goal differential two points below their Catalan rivals.
Meanwhile, Real’s Matchday 14 opponents sit in fifth place. Real Sociedad have been this season’s surprise team in La Liga and are only two points behind Real and Barca in the table. Sociedad have been buoyed by Real loanee Martin Odegaard, who has been arguably the most valuable player in the league to this point in the campaign.
But Sociedad are more than just Odegaard. They have a well-rounded starting XI and enough star power to mount a real challenge at the top of the table. As such, Real Madrid will need to be at their best on Saturday, even with the home-field advantage at the Santiago Bernabeu.
Here are five players who will be key to a winning effort from Los Merengues this week.