Overview
The friendly match against Real Sociedad is of special significance to Xabi Alonso as the Spanish coach has the opportunity to return to face his old team. This is also proof of Alonso's remarkable development journey in the early years of his coaching career.
Chelsea no longer maintains the dominant position as in the 2000s and 2010s, but the appeal of the coaching seat at Stamford Bridge is still very large. Last season, the London team only finished 10th in the Premier League, a achievement that forced them to change on the coaching bench.
A good performance against his old team could help him create more sympathy, while also bringing confidence before the 2026-2027 season.
The Blues have gone through a rather erratic series of friendly matches in the summer. They won 2, drew 1 and lost 2, showing that they have not yet achieved the necessary stability. Some positive points in Alonso's operation have appeared, but limitations are also clearly revealed, especially in his ability to maintain balance in his playing style.
Real Sociedad has enough reason to believe in the ability to cause difficulties for Chelsea. The Spanish team also did not have a perfect preparation under coach 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.
Notably, 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.
Solid defense will certainly be a problem that Matarazzo is particularly interested in. 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.
Chelsea cannot be too confident in this aspect either. The London team has only kept a clean sheet 1 time 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.
Personnel situation
This week, Xabi Alonso welcomed a series of players back after the 2026 World Cup, including captain Reece James, Enzo Fernandez and Morgan Rogers. Maxence Lacroix and Malo Gusto have also returned, but the possibility of being used from the beginning is still unclear.
Alonso may want to give a chance to some of these names, but a safer option is to let them start the match on the bench. Chelsea fans are likely to have to wait longer to see Rogers wear the team's shirt for the first time.
On Real Sociedad's side, Alvaro Odriozola is definitely absent due to a long-term knee injury. Matarazzo is likely to continue to place his trust in Orri Oskarsson, who is in remarkable scoring form.
Carlos Soler is also a name Chelsea needs to be wary of. This attacking midfielder has scored 2 goals in a series of friendly matches and is aiming for his third goal.
Expected lineup:
Chelsea: Sanchez, Palestra, Fofana, Colwill, Hato, Caicedo, Lavia, Estevao, Palmer, Gittens, Joao Pedro.
Real Sociedad: Remiro, Aramburu, Martin, Zubeldia, Gomez, Herrera, Turrientes, Barrenetxea, Soler, Marchal, Oskarsson.
The match between Chelsea and Real Sociedad takes place at 8:00 p.m. on August 15 (Vietnam time).
