On 26 August 2026, Real Madrid and Real Sociedad will meet at the Santiago Bernabéu at 19:30 GMT. The sides arrive with Madrid’s 2‑1 win over Espanyol and Sociedad’s 1‑0 loss to Betis.
Team preparation
The Whites come into the match on a positive run: four wins and one draw in their last five friendly matches, scoring eleven goals and conceding five. Their most recent outing was a 3‑0 victory over Schalke 04, followed by wins 1‑0 over Deportivo de A Coruña and 2‑1 over Ferencváros, and a 2‑2 draw with Fiorentina.
Sociedad, on the other hand, has suffered four defeats in the same five fixtures, losing 3‑1 to Chelsea, 2‑1 and 2‑0 to FC Köln, and 2‑1 to Toulouse. Their only win was 4‑2 against Aston Villa, with a total of ten goals conceded in pre‑season tests.
Injury status and probable lineups
Manager José Mourinho faces a defensive crisis: Rodrygo, Eder Militao, Ferland Mendy, Raúl Asencio and Thiago Pitarch are unavailable. No starting lineup has been confirmed, though there are no suspensions.
Pellegrino Matarazzo, in charge of Sociedad, has Álvaro Odriozola injured. There are no suspended players and the squad has not released a probable lineup.
Head‑to‑head and expectations
In the last La Liga encounter, on 4 February 2026, Madrid won 4‑1 at the Bernabéu. In the five most recent meetings across all competitions, the Whites have won four times, with a 4‑4 draw in the 2025 Copa del Rey. Sociedad has not beaten Madrid in the last five matches, earning only the point from the draw.
The 26 August match will be an opportunity for Sociedad to regain momentum after the Betis defeat, while Madrid seeks to consolidate its home dominance and secure early points in the title race.
