Real Madrid will face Real Sociedad at the Bernabeu on Wednesday for a match that was postponed from the opening round due to World Cup commitments from players in both teams. Jose Mourinho kicked off his second tenure with a 2-1 victory against Espanyol on Saturday, while Real Sociedad suffered a 1-0 defeat to Real Betis on Friday. Mourinho's Tenure Begins Strong, but Defensive Issues Persist Real Madrid has recorded four wins and one draw in their last five matches, scoring a total of ten goals while allowing four. In the match against Espanyol, Jude Bellingham put Real Madrid ahead with a header just nine minutes in, but Alex Calatrava equalized for Espanyol at the half-hour mark. The game was decided late on when Carlos Espi, making his debut, scored the winning goal. However, Mourinho will be without Eder Militao, Ferland Mendy, Raul Asencio, and Rodrygo for this fixture, and his defense has shown vulnerabilities, conceding in three of their last five games. Real Sociedad Struggles Continue Without Defensive Resilience Real Sociedad has faced a tough stretch, losing four of their last five matches, which included defeats against Betis, Chelsea, Koln, and Toulouse, with only a 4-2 win against Aston Villa breaking the losing streak. They have not kept a clean sheet in any of their last five friendlies, conceding a total of ten goals. Mikel Oyarzabal began the match against Betis on the bench due to late arrival from pre-season, and other players such as Takefusa Kubo, Luka Sucic, and Goncalo Guedes also experienced delays in returning from World Cup duties. Additionally, Alvaro Odriozola is sidelined due to injury.