Real Sociedad will host Bournemouth at the Reale Arena in Donostia-San Sebastián this Thursday, Sept. 17, for the opening matchday of the 2026-27 UEFA Europa League. The Spanish team arrives with full intent to lift their spirits after losing 3-0 to Atlético Madrid in the most recent La Liga matchday on Sept. 13.
Before that, Pellegrino Matarazzo’s team defeated Elche 3-2 on Sept. 7 with goals from Job Ochieng, Yangel Herrera and Luka Susic.
Real Sociedad sit 12th in La Liga with seven points after six matches, with two wins, one draw and three defeats.
Bournemouth, meanwhile, are coming off a 2-2 draw against Brentford on Sept. 12 in the most recent Premier League matchday. Before that, they convincingly defeated Lincoln City 4-0 on Sept. 8 in the third round of the EFL Cup. In that match, Ryan Christie scored a hat-trick, while Rayan scored the fourth goal in the 90th minute with four minutes of stoppage time.
Bournemouth sit 15th in the Premier League with three points after four matches, with three draws and one defeat.
Real Sociedad vs. Bournemouth: Team News & Starting Lineups
Real Sociedad still can’t count on fullback Álvaro Odriozola, and Igor Zubeldia is also unavailable due to injury. Jon Aramburu, meanwhile, is suspended after receiving a red card in the 2024-25 season against Manchester United.
As for Bournemouth, the English club continues to miss some key players due to injury, including Julián Araujo, Amine Adli, Veljko Milosavljevic and Eli Junior Kroupi.
To be honest, no surprises are expected from either side, and both managers should field their most competitive available starting XI. Bournemouth’s attack could be led by Evanilson, Kluivert and Tavernier, while Real Sociedad’s could be led by Oyarzabal and Susic.
Real Sociedad predicted starting XI vs. Bournemouth: Marrero; Fort, Sarr, Pacheco, Gomez; Ochieng, Herrera, Soler, Guedes; Oyarzabal, Sucic.
Bournemouth predicted starting XI vs. Real Sociedad: Petrovic; Smith, Hill, Silva, Truffert; Adams, Scott; Rayan, Kluivert, Tavernier; Evanilson.
These predicted starting lineups will be replaced by the official confirmed lineups about an hour before kickoff, when both clubs announce them. The match is set to start at 12:00 p.m. PT, 3:00 p.m. ET, and 8:00 p.m. BST.
Real Sociedad vs. Bournemouth Lineup Today: Team News & Confirmed Starting XI for UEFA Europa League