Valencia come into this one with a spring in their step. The mood around Mestalla shifted the moment they got rid of Corberán, and the recent performance against Alavés showed a side that suddenly wants to run, press and play football again. That 4-4-2 shape under the new regime looks less like a cage and more like a launchpad. The recent friendly defeat to Newcastle is a footnote, not a warning sign. At home, in front of their own crowd, Valencia have historically been a different animal, and the early-season schedule has given them a chance to build momentum. They are cheeky, they are aggressive, and they are desperate to prove the Alavés display was the new normal, not a one-off.

Real Sociedad, by contrast, arrive with heavy legs and a headache. They have had two days less rest than Valencia after a European outing against Bournemouth, and that matters in the seventh round of a La Liga campaign when the tank is not yet full. Their recent form has been patchy, and the expected changes — Gonçalo Guedes, Luka Sučić, Carlos Soler and Álex Remiro all set to return — tell you the coach knows the first whistle against Bournemouth was not good enough. Mikel Oyarzabal, a World Cup winner with Spain, has started the season without a goal in seven appearances. That is a drought, and droughts have a way of following strikers around like a bad smell.