Real Madrid: 5 players who must shine against Real Sociedad

CM Fede Valverde

Fede Valverde will need to be one of Los Blancos’ top performers against Real Sociedad, too. The young Uruguayan has become highly regarded for his ability to step up in the biggest games, as he’s been named Man of the Match in Clasicos and Derbis this season, his first as a regular first-team player for Real Madrid.

On Sunday at the Anoeta, Valverde will need to provide the left side of Real’s formation with hard running and defensive support, allowing Eden Hazard to freely cause problems in the attack. Valverde will need to track the inward movement of Portu, who is Sociedad’s most underrated player and one of the best creative wide forwards in European football.

Portu has seven goals and actually leads the team above Martin Odegaard and Mikel Oyarzabal with eight assists. Valverde will need to keep a close eye on him.

CF Karim Benzema

A big-game player, Karim Benzema scored a second-half brace in the 3-0 win over Valencia and has been in vintage form in the season’s return. A fully healthy Eden Hazard has brought out the best in Benzema, and the last time both men were in sync in the Fall, they combined devastatingly in a 3-1 November win over Real Sociedad at the Santiago Bernabeu.

In that match, Benzema scored and assisted with two key passes and three shots on target to his name, per WhoScored.com. He’ll need to match La Real’s attacking firepower with goals of his own on Sunday. The opportunity is there for Benzema to pick up yet another brace.