Carlo Ancelotti’s second stint at Real Madrid is drawing to a close, and Saturday’s La Liga clash with Real Sociedad at the Santiago Bernabéu will likely be his final match at the helm. With the title already out of reach, Madrid will finish second behind Barcelona, bringing a relatively underwhelming season to an end by their lofty standards. Their only piece of silverware this term remains the UEFA Super Cup from August, a far cry from last season’s domestic and European double.

Despite missing out on major honours, there will still be emotion in the air, especially as Luka Modric prepares for his final home game in white. Real Madrid have shown flashes of dominance recently, recording back-to-back wins over Mallorca and Sevilla. They’ll be eager to cap off the campaign with a third straight victory and send Ancelotti and Modric off with a fitting farewell. Kylian Mbappé, who has netted 41 times in a remarkable debut season, will spearhead the attack once more, while young talents like Arda Güler look set to play key roles.

In contrast, Real Sociedad limp into the final day following a season to forget. A sixth-place finish last year raised expectations, but they’ve dropped to 11th after a poor run of form, with just one win since early April. The Basque side did manage to edge Girona 3-2 last time out, but it was too little, too late. Their away form has been inconsistent, with nine losses from 18 games on the road, and they now face a tough task at the Bernabéu, where they haven’t won in their last three visits.

Imanol Alguacil is set to depart as head coach, and several key players—most notably Martin Zubimendi—are expected to follow him out. The midfielder is widely tipped to join Arsenal this summer and is set for a final appearance in blue and white. With Mikel Oyarzabal likely to lead the line, La Real will try to spoil Madrid’s send-off, but motivation and form remain questionable.

Real Madrid will be without Jude Bellingham due to suspension, and several others—Carvajal, Camavinga, Rudiger—are sidelined. Even so, the depth in their squad should prove sufficient, especially with the emotional boost of Modric’s farewell in front of a packed Bernabéu.

I do not expect a confident and composed performance from the hosts. I expect a hard fought close game!

卡洛·安切洛蒂在皇马的第二次任期即将结束，周六在圣地亚哥·伯纳姆乌球场与皇家社会的西甲比赛很可能是他执教皇马的最后一场比赛。在冠军已经遥不可及的情况下，马德里将在巴塞罗那之后排名第二，以他们的高标准来结束一个相对平淡的赛季。他们本赛季唯一的奖杯是8月份的欧洲超级杯，与上赛季的国内和欧洲双冠王相去甚远。

尽管错过了重要的荣誉，但空气中仍然弥漫着激动的情绪，尤其是当卢卡·莫德里奇准备他的最后一场主场比赛时。皇马最近表现出了统治力，背靠背战胜了马洛卡和塞维利亚。他们渴望以三连胜结束这个赛季，给安切洛蒂和莫德里奇一个合适的告别。在首个赛季就打进41球的基利安·姆巴佩尔将再次成为锋线先锋，而像阿尔达·格勒这样的年轻天才似乎将扮演关键角色。

相比之下，皇家社会在经历了一个被遗忘的赛季后，蹒跚地进入了最后一天。去年的第六名提高了人们的期望，但由于表现不佳，他们已经跌至第11名，自4月初以来只赢了一场比赛。这支巴斯克球队在上一轮比赛中确实以3-2险胜赫罗纳，但这太微不足道，也太迟了。他们的客场状态一直不稳定，在18场客场比赛中输了9场，现在他们在伯纳姆乌面临着艰巨的任务，他们在过去的三次客场比赛中都没有赢过球。

伊曼纽尔·阿尔瓜西尔将离开主教练一职，而几名关键球员——最著名的是马丁·祖比门迪——预计将跟随他离开。这名中场球员被广泛认为将在今年夏天加盟阿森纳，并将在蓝白军团中最后一次出场。由于奥亚扎巴尔很有可能带队，皇马将试图破坏皇马的欢送，但他们的动力和状态仍然值得怀疑。

由于禁赛，皇马将失去贝灵汉，其他几个人——卡瓦哈尔、卡马文加、吕迪格——也将缺阵。即便如此，他们的阵容深度应该是足够的，尤其是莫德里奇在挤满伯纳巴姆乌的人群前告别时，他们的情绪得到了鼓舞。

我不指望东道主会有自信沉着的表现。我期待一场势均力敌的比赛！