After finishing 13th in the 36-team Europa League table, Real Sociedad have a slender advantage in their quest to qualify for the last 16 for the third successive year in European competition after beating Midtjylland 2-1 in the first leg of their playoff tie last week.

Brais Mendez's 11th-minute penalty was followed by a strike from Takefusa Kubo just after the half-hour mark, before Midtjylland pulled one back through Adam Buksa shortly before half time. The hosts pushed for an equaliser after the break, but Real held on for a hard-fought victory in Denmark.

That victory represented their third in a row in all competitions, but Imanol Alguacil's side were unable to win a fourth consecutive game as they suffered a 3-0 away defeat to Real Betis in La Liga last Sunday, with the dismissals of Igor Zubeldia after 20 minutes and Sheraldo Becker 15 minutes from time proving costly.

A run of five defeats in their last seven La Liga games has seen Real Sociedad slip to 11th in the table and they now have a steep mountain to climb if they wish to secure Europa League football for next season, as they sit 10 points behind fifth place with 14 league games remaining.

Progressing deep into this year's Europa League is now one of the primary aims for Real Sociedad, who have advanced from seven of their last nine European knockout ties when they have won the first leg.

Midtjylland managed to bounce back from last week's first-leg loss to Real Sociedad as they secured a narrow 1-0 home win over Lyngby in the Danish Superliga on Sunday, courtesy of a first-half penalty from Adam Buksa.

The reigning Danish top-flight champions currently sit level on points with leaders Copenhagen with just four games of the regular season remaining, and before they prepare for a top-of-the-table showdown on Sunday, the Wolves must shift their attention back to the Europa League.

Midtjylland, who finished 20th in the League Phase to squeeze into the Europa League playoffs by one point, travel to Spain on Thursday having failed to win any of their previous eight away matches in the knockout rounds of major European competition (D2 L6), despite scoring in seven of those.

Thomas Thomasberg's side have also been eliminated from each of their last four European ties when losing the first leg, and a comeback victory over Real Sociedad would see them progress to the last 16 of the Europa League for the first time in their history, having previously fallen at this intermediate stage on three occasions.

Real Sociedad possible starting lineup:

Marrero; Odriozola, Elustondo, Aguerd, Balda; Sucic, Marin; Kubo, Mendez, Becker; Oskarsson

FC Midtjylland possible starting lineup:

Lossl; Andersson, Diao, Bech Sorensen, Paulinho; Castillo, Silva, Andreasen, Franculino, Buska, Simsir