The Real society look for a necessary redemption after the embarrassment suffered in the Basque derby San Mames. He owes it to his people. He owes it to himself. A project as attractive as this one from Imanol Sheriff it cannot have such a resounding blur on a perennial basis. One has to turn the page already And the best way to do it is with a great match against the RB Leipzig at the Reale Arena and his classification in style for the round of 16 of the UEFA Europa League for the first time in its history (follow the match live on AS.com). With his fans dedicated to the stands, against a rival with a lot of thunder, and with a path full of stones that, although very difficult, he can overcome.
The Real goes in search of one of those unforgettable great european nightsof those that are remembered for a long time, that reconciles him with his hobby, and with his idea of footballwhat It seems have been lost at some point in this long season. It is the day to hit the table, to show what this txuri-urdin team is capable of, and to show Europe all the potential it has within, that although everything now looks a bit black, it is outrageous. One has to rise up big, as the great occasions demand. And this can be one of them. On the horizon the revenge against themselves because of what happened a year ago against him Man Utd. touch finish the job to get rid of once and for all that thorn that the people of San Sebastian have nailed, and finally play a round of 16.
To do this, Imanol hesitates among himself to repeat the approach that gave him such good returns in Germany, or whether to return to his traditional idea of trying to be more of a protagonist with the ball. Let’s say the dilemma is the following: carry game alternative what can sue your audience when playing at home, or transfer it to RB Leipzig to wait withdrawn and go out with quick transitions. The fear is clear, that the Germans do not have space to run behind their defense, because if they are not lost, because of their physical power and capacity. Imanol wants to raise a smart matchbut he cannot forget his hallmarks: being brave and daring, two ingredients that seem key to overcoming this complicated challenge.
Evidently, is not the same face this game with Alexander Isak, Adnan Januzaj and Mikel Merino that without them. For its quality They are fundamental in the game idea of Real Sociedad, and to a large extent what Imanol intends to do will depend on his presence or not in the starting eleven. one for sure will not be, merino, because his blow to the head completely discourages his participation in this match, despite the fact that the Navarrese wanted to play. Better not risk who has suffered two very strong blows to the head in just two weeks. But Isak and Januzaj are on the list. And “100%”as he has taken care of qualify Imanol himself. So breathe a little realism because they are two capital players in the Real attack. With them the mountain does not look so high, and allows us to be a little more optimistic. The question is who will play Merino, Yes Zubeldia will advance his positionas seems the most logical, or if the Oriotarra to join Silva and Rafinha in the midfield, something not unreasonable, although a little unlikely, due to the physical demand that the RB Leipzigwhat arrives to San Sebastián without giving clues about the physical condition of its players and with the doubt if Angeliño will be in conditions to occupy his left side. If the Galician is not there, it will also be another aspect in favor of the realists, because in the first leg he showed that his precision in the centers is millimeter. Seeing their results away from home, and their last matches, the Germans are pretty scary and it is clear that the challenge is very high; but it is time to see Real de Imanol achieving what seems impossible. With his people. With the Reale Arena to bursting. A night for history. Redemption and classification.