Tonight's Champions League tie at Old Trafford features two sides that are not in great form to say the least.
We have all seen the issues with Manchester United up close in David Moyes' first months at the club. Whether it's teething trouble or signs of a more general decline, the Reds will want to get another positive result in Europe after beating Bayer Leverkusen at home and taking a point in Donetsk.
For Sociedad, a win is imperative, having lost both of their opening Champions League group matches.
But their domestic form has been very poor for a club that finished fourth in La Liga last term.
Until they beat Valencia at the weekend, they had failed to win their seven previous league games. They are currently 12th and that win was only their second of the season.
I watched that 2 - 1 win away to Valencia on Saturday evening but I came away thinking that they were not hugely impressive. Perhaps, it's a case that they do not have the experience to mix domestic pursuits with the Champions League commitments.
That being said, the goals were taken well but they came against the run of play. Wide forward Antoine Griezmann's opening goal just before half-time came via a lofted pass that was flicked in his direction, while Ruben Pardo doubled that lead from long-range (watch highlights of the game below).
Yet a poor Valencia side dominated the game. Los Che had twice as many shots as Sociedad and also had a pass success rate that 13 per cent higher than their Basque rivals.
But a game in which Sociedad ceded possession probably suited them down to the ground. Last season, they gained a lot of attention for a vibrant counter-attacking game.
Indeed only Real Madrid scored more counter-attacking goals than Sociedad in 2012/13. They also put in more crosses than any other La Liga team last season as well as having one of the more elevated rates of long balls per game in Spain.
They have been less able to exploit their powers on the break so far this season. But then again, they are not a team that just plays it long as they can mix it with shorter, technical play. Either way, United must be wary of over-committing and as I will mention later, the wingers must be diligent when tracking the opposing full-backs.
Last season, it was their forward trio of ex-Arsenal striker Carlos Vela, Imanol Agirrexte and Griezmann who fired Sociedad into the Champions League. All three reached double figures in La Liga and scored 37 goals between them.
They have been less lethal in the first three months of 2013/14 with Agirrexte scoreless. Vela has two goals for the season, while Griezmann's finish against Valencia was only his second strike.
They are likely to play a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3 with Griezmann, Agirrexte, and Vela lined out from left to right up front. However, Vela could play behind the centre-forward but that is dependent on captain and one-club man Xabi Prieto being fit enough to start after a recent injury.
David Zurutuza and Markel Bergara are expected to anchor the midfield. United's wide men should be wary of Sociedad's full-backs Carlos Martinez (right) and Alberto De La Bella (left).
Martinez in particular is a dangerman. He was among the top 10 La Liga players when it came to the number of accurate crosses he delivered last season and ended 2012/13 with four assists - the third highest number for his team.
Young defender Inigo Martinez, who I profiled on The Scouting Report, is another player to watch.
