Chelsea experienced a rather erratic series of friendly matches in the summer of 2026. The Blues won 2, drew 1 and lost 2, showing that they have not yet achieved the necessary stability.
Some positive points in Xabi Alonso's operation have appeared, but limitations are also clearly revealed, especially in his ability to maintain balance in his playing style.
On the other side, Real Sociedad did not have a perfect preparation under Pellegrino Matarazzo, with 2 wins, 1 draw and 3 defeats in 6 friendly matches.
The most worrying point lies in the defense. Real Sociedad did not keep a clean sheet in any of the 6 matches mentioned above and conceded 2 goals in 3 consecutive matches before the confrontation with Chelsea. However, they still have positive signs when they successively defeated Wolves 2-1 and Aston Villa 4-2.
Both victories of Real Sociedad came against Premier League representatives. Therefore, Chelsea will be an opportunity for Matarazzo's team to complete a hat-trick against English opponents.
Matarazzo will be particularly interested in strengthening the defense. What Real Sociedad has shown in the past time shows that they still leave too many gaps and it is very difficult to maintain certainty throughout 90 minutes.
The Blues cannot be too confident in this aspect either. The London team has only kept a clean sheet once in the last 5 friendly matches. This opens up the possibility that the match at Stamford Bridge will be open, with opportunities for both attacks.
Link to watch Chelsea - Real Sociedad match live:
//www. chelseafc. com/en
