Real Sociedad go into the trip to Malaga with 13 points from eight league matches and a place sixth in La Liga. Malaga have only four points from their opening eight games, and they are still waiting for a first league win. The gap is clear, which is why the draw call feels more believable than a home breakthrough.
Malaga's struggle to get over the line
Malaga's record is plain enough. They have four draws and four defeats from eight matches, and their most recent league outing ended 1-1 with Espanyol. Before that, they had lost to Villarreal and Getafe, so the point against Espanyol at least stopped the slide from getting worse.
The issue is still in the final third. Malaga have scored only four goals in eight league games, which leaves very little margin when they are also conceding. Bottom place on four points is the inevitable result of that balance.
Real Sociedad's edge without the clean sheet gloss
Real Sociedad's start looks stronger, but it is not built on perfect defending. They have scored 12 league goals and conceded 15, so the edge comes more from getting results than from controlling games defensively. They also beat Deportivo La Coruna 3-2 last weekend, and Sports Mole expect them to make it three straight wins in Spain's top flight.
That expectation matters because it points to a side with more momentum, even if the away trip is not straightforward. Malaga have won two of the last three meetings between the clubs, and the last league meeting was back in April 2018. The sides also met in the Copa del Rey in January 2024, when Real Sociedad won 1-0.
Sports Mole's call is for Malaga's wait for a first victory to continue, but with the hosts good enough to take a share of the spoils. On the numbers available, a narrow away edge would fit, but a draw is the most natural prediction for Malaga vs Real Sociedad on Sunday evening.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
