Real Sociedad face five matches in 15 days to climb LaLiga and Europa League

Real Sociedad returned to training in Zubieta on Monday at 18.00 after a full weekend off, and they did so with a demanding stretch ahead of them. Over the next 15 days, Pellegrino Matarazzo's side will play five matches in which they are favourites, and picking up points in most of them would provide a major boost in both LaLiga and the Europa League.

• Real Sociedad play five matches in 15 days after the international break, four in LaLiga and one in the Europa League.
• The first test is Deportivo de A Coruña at Anoeta on Sunday 11 October, with both clubs level on 10 points.
• In Europe, the team are still looking for their first points after losing their opening fixture to Bournemouth.
• The month ends with a home match against Levante, followed by a clear week before the San Mamés derby.

Demanding Real Sociedad schedule: which fixtures are packed into 15 days

As the international break fades away, Real Sociedad will gradually recover the players who have been on duty with their national teams. After that, the squad faces five matches in just two weeks, a rhythm that will demand careful management of minutes and rotations.

Deportivo de A Coruña visit Anoeta on Sunday 11 October at 16.15. Both teams have 10 points in the standings, and a win would move the Basque side into European qualification spots. Then, on Thursday 15 October at 18.45, Real Sociedad travel to Union Saint Gilloise for the second round of the Europa League league phase, needing their first points after the opening defeat to Bournemouth.

LaLiga targets: Deportivo, Levante and a tricky trip to Malaga

In the domestic competition, the match against Deportivo represents the first real chance to climb into the European places. Beating the Galician side would push Real Sociedad above a direct rival and send a clear message for the rest of the month.

The trip to Malaga on Sunday 18 October at 18.30 comes right after the European match in Belgium. On paper it is a weaker opponent, but accumulated fatigue and the obligation to take all three points make it a serious test of the squad's depth. To close out the league stretch, Levante will visit Anoeta on Sunday 25 October at 18.30. Again, another fixture the home side are expected to win.

Europa League essentials for Real Sociedad: away games and no margin for error

The defeat against Bournemouth in their European opener has left Real Sociedad with almost no safety net for the second continental fixture. The match away to Union Saint Gilloise looks like a clear opportunity to collect the first three points of the campaign. The Belgian side are competitive, but in the Europa League format they appear a step below the Basque team.

Three days later, on Thursday 22 October at 21.00, Real Sociedad will travel to Norway to face Lillestrøm. It is their third away trip in the space of a week and another match where victory feels almost essential to avoid complications in the European table. Taking six points from these two trips would leave Matarazzo's men close to the leading group in the Europa League standings.

What is at stake for Real Sociedad in this run of fixtures

The importance of this month stems from the profile of the opponents. Deportivo, Malaga, Union Saint Gilloise, Lillestrøm and Levante all look, on paper, less powerful than Real Sociedad. In some cases that comes down to squad strength, in others to current form, but in every match the Txuriurdin have solid arguments to prevail.

If things go according to plan, by the end of October Real Sociedad would sit in the upper reaches of the league table and hold genuine options to climb their European group. The stretch also serves as ideal preparation for the Basque derby at San Mamés, which will arrive after a full week of training to recharge the group.

Full Real Sociedad fixture list over the next 15 days

• Sunday 11 October, 16.15: Real Sociedad vs Deportivo de A Coruña (LaLiga).
• Thursday 15 October, 18.45: Union Saint Gilloise vs Real Sociedad (Europa League).
• Sunday 18 October, 18.30: Malaga vs Real Sociedad (LaLiga).
• Thursday 22 October, 21.00: Lillestrøm vs Real Sociedad (Europa League).
• Sunday 25 October, 18.30: Real Sociedad vs Levante (LaLiga).

How Real Sociedad approach this decisive stretch

Matarazzo will see his internationals return to the group bit by bit over the coming days. The staggered arrivals force the coaching staff to adjust workloads in the first training sessions, but they also bring the squad back into the competitive rhythm needed for such a busy month.

Squad depth will be a decisive factor, especially in the second week when the team plays in Malaga and Norway just three days apart. Getting the rotations right without dropping the level will be key to avoiding dropped points in a calendar that invites the club to dream.