Real Sociedad face a must-win match in Belgium on Thursday to keep their hopes of a top-eight finish in the Europa League alive. The Basque side, sixth in La Liga with 13 points, travel to face Union Saint-Gilloise in Leuven needing all three points to avoid relying on a miracle in the remaining group games.

Manager Matarazzo has a near-full squad available for the European fixture. Forward Oskarsson and defender Marchal return to the squad, while Beitia and Carrera are omitted. Mikel Oyarzabal, who was rested against Deportivo, will return to the starting lineup, though his exact role as an attacking midfielder or focal point is not yet clear. In attack, Kubo and especially Ochieng have options to start ahead of Barrenetxea or Guedes.

The test at the Den Dreff in Leuven is a serious one. Union Saint-Gilloise are virtually untouchable in the Belgian league and have experience from last season's Champions League. For Real Sociedad, who began their European campaign with a home defeat to Bournemouth, this match is about proving their attacking strength on the road. Journalist Unai Valverde noted that "Real Sociedad wants to measure in Europe, and away from home, its offensive power and ability to win matches it must win."

The arithmetic is clear. A win in Belgium keeps the team in the fight for eighth place, which Roma secured with 16 points last season. "In last year's edition, Roma went through in eighth with 16 points, the same total that left Genk out," Valverde recalled. A defeat would force Real Sociedad to win almost all their remaining points against opponents like Lillestrom, Viktoria Plzen, Crystal Palace, Lyon, Torreense and Juventus, a near-impossible task.

The team arrives with confidence after a 3-2 win over Deportivo La Coruña last weekend, with goals from Jon Martín, Zakharyan and Guedes. That result leaves them sixth in the table, 11 points behind leaders Barcelona. Luka Sučić is the top scorer this season with three goals.

After the match in Belgium, focus returns to La Liga. Next Sunday, Real visit bottom-placed Malaga, another mandatory game to maintain pressure on the top sides. The upcoming fixtures schedule shows a run of decisive commitments in the coming weeks. The match against Union Saint-Gilloise will be broadcast from 18:30 via Carrusel Real Sociedad on YouTube and the Cadena SER app.

The report in full is at mundodeportivo.com