Real Sociedad and Deportivo La Coruna go into Sunday level on 10 points, but the pressure sits more with the hosts. Sociedad are eighth in La Liga after seven matches, and they are trying to steady themselves after a Europa League opener at home to Bournemouth on September 17 ended in defeat. A last-gasp winner from Ander Barrenetxea in the 3-2 victory over Valencia gave them a lift in the league, yet this is still a sterner test than the table alone suggests.
Sociedad's home response
Sociedad's home form is part of the question. They have 10 points from seven league games, which leaves them chasing rhythm rather than controlling the division. The Valencia win offered a late escape, but the Bournemouth loss showed how quickly a promising run can be interrupted.
Pellegrino Matarazzo pointed to the edge Sociedad have had in this fixture, saying: "Real Sociedad have won their last three league matches against Deportivo, including a 5-0 success in their last meeting back in February 2018." That record helps explain why the hosts will back themselves, even with a demanding schedule building around them.
Deportivo's early-season belief
Deportivo sit seventh on 10 points from seven matches, and Antonio Hidalgo has reason to be upbeat about the trip. He said Deportivo's form and performance level this season "will certainly hand them confidence ahead of their trip to Real Sociedad this weekend." Their 3-2 away win at Villarreal at the start of September is the kind of result that makes that confidence real rather than decorative.
The table suggests this is close. The head-to-head still leans Sociedad's way, and the hosts have already shown enough at home to suggest they can respond after Europe. Sunday’s Real Sociedad vs Deportivo La Coruna fixture should tell us whether that late burst against Valencia was a turning point or just a brief reset before a tougher run.
Written by Daniel Hartley with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 1 outlet. How we work →
