Valencia caretaker boss Oscar Sanchez will attempt to build on Tuesday's much-needed victory at Alaves when his side entertain Real Sociedad in La Liga on Sunday.
After a dismal start which saw them pick up just a point from their first five games, Valencia sacked head coach Carlos Corberan and football chief executive Ron Gourlay last week, with B team boss Sanchez stepping in as interim boss.
Valencia are still in the bottom three in La Liga going into Sunday's action but the change in management brought about an immediate positive reaction as they finally picked up their first win of the season at Alaves in midweek.
They will now look to follow up at home against a Real Sociedad side who have also had a poor start overall, winning just two of their first six in the Spanish top flight.
The visitors lost 3-0 at home to Atletico Madrid last weekend and then began their Europa League campaign disappointingly, losing 2-1 at home to Bournemouth.
Valencia v Real Sociedad Tips Summary
Best Bet - Valencia to win @ 7/4
Alternative Bet - Under 2.5 goals @ 10/11
Bet Builder - Valencia to win, half-time score: 0-0 and Mikel Oyarzabal 2+ shots @ 11/1
Valencia v Real Sociedad Prediction
Best Bet - Valencia to win @ 7/4
Valencia endured a miserable start to the season, picking up just a point from their first five league games, as defeats to Real Betis, Deportivo La Coruna, Barcelona and Sevilla left them in the relegation zone early on.
Those results cost Corberan and Gourlay their jobs but things at least look a little brighter at the club after Tuesday's gutsy 1-0 victory over Alaves.
It was a much-improved display under Sanchez and a notable achievement against a side that had won three of their first six games, finally giving the Blanquinegros something to build on.
And they can follow up with another three points against La Real, who conceded three late goals at home to Atletico last weekend before their Euro campaign began poorly with defeat, also at home, to the Cherries.
Alternative Bet - Under 2.5 goals @ 10/11
There doesn't seem to be much of a prospect of this being a high-scoring game with instead a cagey affair predicted to take place at the Mestalla between two teams not exactly high on confidence.
Valencia are the lowest scorers in the Spanish top flight with just two goals so far, while Sociedad are averaging exactly one goal per game, having managed only six.
Sanchez was able to set up his side to defend well at Alaves in midweek and will probably adopt similar tactics in this clash, so a disjointed affair, short on attacking flair, might well play out.
Valencia v Real Sociedad Bet Builder Tip
Valencia to win
Half-time score: 0-0
Mikel Oyarzabal 2+ shots
Pays @ 11/1
Valencia are fancied to edge what is likely to be a tight game at the Mestalla so combining a home win with a goalless first half forms the basis of the Bet Builder.
Neither side have been blessed with many goals this season so a quiet opening 45 minutes is predicted.
Furthermore, Valencia have failed to score in the first half in any of their last three matches, while Sociedad have drawn a blank in the first half of their last two.
The visitors' disappointing goal return of just six in as many matches in La Liga has put Mikel Oyarzabal under pressure to rediscover his best form and the Spain international, who scored 18 in all competitions for Sociedad last term, is surprisingly yet to get off the mark in 2026/27.
Oyarzabal has had his opportunities in the early weeks of the campaign, accumulating a total of 11 shots for Sociedad, so he will surely break his goal duck soon.
The 29-year-old has had two or more shots on three occasions this season, including in the midweek defeat to Bournemouth, and he can maintain a similar level on Sunday evening.
Learn more about how Bet Builders work in our Bet Builder guide.
Key Match Stats
Valencia have picked up only four points from their first six games
Real Sociedad have seven points from six matches
Sociedad have lost two of their first three away La Liga games this season
Valencia are the lowest scorers in the division with just two goals
Sociedad are averaging exactly one goal per game in La Liga
Valencia have won two of the last three meetings, the other was a draw
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This article was written by a partner sports writer via Spotlight Sports Group. All odds displayed on this page were correct at the time of writing and are subject to withdrawal or change at any time.
