Racing and Sociedad Look To Get Off Their Slides

Both teams come into this encounter with some important issues that can only be solved by winning on Sunday.  Racing seemed to have gone flat in the two matches defensively allowing six goals in the process.

Sunday’s match is not just a battle to avoid slipping further in the table but it is a battle of futility as the second worst offense faces the third worst defense in Racing and Real Sociedad respectively. 

More importantly it is a series that has favored the Basques since 1994, especially at El Sardinero.  Since that time Racing have only been able to beat Sociedad on three occasions.  Racing’s last win was back on January 14, 2007.  It was also Sociedad’s last visit after going down to second division later on that season. 

Prior to that, their last win on January 18th, 1998 when they beat Sociedad 3-1. It will also be a very special and emotional return for Mikel Aramburu who suffered a career-threatening injury at the hands of Oriol.  The challenge was amongst one of the most savag ones in recent years.   Oriol’s challenges fractured Aramburu’s knee in five places. 

Marcelino García Toral has his biggest test of his short stint as Racing coach as he wlll have to atempt to right the ship that was going so well in the first matches plans in charge.  His first step is to make some changes in his lethargic attack.  Among his plans is to start Mexican international Giovani Dos Santos for the first time in this semester.  The former Barca youth procust has been able to cause problems for opponents that other Racing players are not capable of doing so.  According to many, he will start alongside Rosenberg on the wings.

For the Spurs loanee, it is a chance to really begin to take that step towards fulfilling the type of potential that everyone expected out of him in his early years.    

Real Sociedad in the meantime have lots of distractions that Martín Lasarte will have to deal with when it come to the potential deals on the table for Xabi Prieto as well as Antoine Griezmann from teams like Liverpool and Manchester City. 

RACING:  Toño, Pinillos, Torrejón, Osmar, Christian; Kennedy, Colsa, Lacen, Rosenberg, Munitis, Dos Santos

REAL SOCIEDAD: Bravo, Anostegi, González, De La Bella, Rivas; Aranburu, Prieto, Estrada, Zurutuza, Tamudo, Griezmann