Real Sociedad host Lyon at the Reale Arena on Thursday night in the UEFA Europa League, in the clubs’ first meeting in 13 years. Lyon arrive 12th in the league phase on six points, while Sociedad are 14th on four points after the 6-0 win at Lillestrom last time out in Europe.
This Real Sociedad vs Lyon prediction matters for bettors because both sides arrive in scoring form but with leaky European defences: Sociedad put six past Lillestrom, while Lyon beat Angers 2-0 in their last game after defeats to PSG and Hoffenheim.
Real Sociedad vs Lyon Match Preview
Sociedad’s recent run has been strong: a 2-1 defeat at Athletic Bilbao followed a 2-1 win over Levante, the 6-0 Europa League win at Lillestrom, a 5-2 win at Malaga and a 1-1 draw at Union Saint-Gilloise. Lyon, meanwhile, beat Angers 2-0 in their last game but lost 2-0 at PSG and 3-0 at Hoffenheim in Europe, with a 2-1 win over Nice and a 3-2 win over Crystal Palace in Europe before that.
Team Recent Form
Real Sociedad (most recent first): L-W-W-W-D — Athletic Bilbao 2-1 Real Sociedad (LaLiga); Real Sociedad 2-1 Levante (LaLiga); Lillestrom 0-6 Real Sociedad (Europa League); Malaga 2-5 Real Sociedad (LaLiga); Union Saint-Gilloise 1-1 Real Sociedad (Europa League).
Lyon (most recent first): W-L-L-W-W — Lyon 2-0 Angers (Ligue 1); PSG 2-0 Lyon (Ligue 1); Hoffenheim 3-0 Lyon (Europa League); Lyon 2-1 Nice (Ligue 1); Lyon 3-2 Crystal Palace (Europa League).
Key Stats
- Real Sociedad scored six goals at Lillestrom in their last Europa League game, the biggest win of their European campaign so far.
- Lyon have six points from three Europa League games (two wins, one defeat), two points more than Sociedad’s four.
- Both sides have scored in all five of Sociedad’s last five games, and Lyon have scored in four of their last five.
2-1 is our correct-score prediction: Sociedad’s home advantage and their 6-0 statement win should carry them through, but Lyon’s scoring form means the visitors should find the net at least once.
Real Sociedad vs Lyon H2H
- 28 August 2013: Real Sociedad 2-0 Lyon (Champions League play-off, 2nd leg)
- 20 August 2013: Lyon 0-2 Real Sociedad (Champions League play-off, 1st leg)
- 9 March 2004: Real Sociedad 0-1 Lyon (Champions League, round of 16, 2nd leg)
- 25 February 2004: Lyon 1-0 Real Sociedad (Champions League, round of 16, 1st leg)
The record from those four meetings is two wins each; the 2013 play-off was won 4-0 on aggregate by Sociedad, while Lyon won the 2004 tie 2-0 on aggregate. No verified fifth meeting was found in the sources checked.
Pre Game Odds
- Real Sociedad win: 1.87
- Draw: 4.11
- Lyon win: 4.25
Odds via Sportytrader (best odds, checked 3 Nov 2026), pre-match and subject to change.
Team News Real Sociedad
Real Sociedad are without Alvaro Odriozola (knee), Luken Beitia (ankle) and Arsen Zakharyan (ankle), all expected back around mid-November. No suspensions were found in the sources checked.
Predicted Real Sociedad XI (predicted only, not confirmed): Marrero; Zubeldia, Martin, Sarr, Gomez; Kubo, Gorrotxategi, Soler, Guedes; Sucic, Oyarzabal.
Team News Lyon
Lyon are without Mohamed Ouedraogo (knee), Tyler Morton (groin), Pavel Sulc (meniscus) and Lois Openda (leg). The status of Nicolas Tagliafico and Steeve Kango was not settled between the sources checked and neither is stated as out here. No suspensions were found in the sources checked.
Predicted Lyon XI (predicted only, not confirmed): Greif; Kango, Bacher, Mata, Kluivert; Nartey, Tessmann, Bidstrup; Boudache, Himbert, Nakamura.
Real Sociedad vs Lyon Betting Tips
Tip 1 – Result: Real Sociedad win. Tip 2 – Over-Under 2.5: Over 2.5 goals. Tip 3 – BTTS Yes-No: Both teams to score – Yes.
Sociedad’s home form and their 6-0 win at Lillestrom should see them through, but Lyon’s attack means a clean sheet looks unlikely.
Real Sociedad vs Lyon prediction
For more previews, see our Matches archive, and check the latest Real Sociedad vs Lyon prediction odds at Sportytrader.
