_338_.jpg)
Real Sociedad deserved much better. They played an impressive match but were undone by two penalties— the second one hard to believe— against a Real Madrid side that could have been beaten with a bit more accuracy. The Txuri-Urdin hit the woodwork three times, and in the end, it proved costly.
La Real began the game with intensity, though the first clear chance came from Mbappé, whose left-footed shot was well saved by Remiro. The Merengues started to gain control, but the home side responded with a fierce shot from Sučić from the edge of the box that rattled the post. Madrid quickly replied, with Militao forcing Remiro into a stunning save from a header. The game opened up, and once again, luck turned against the Donostiarras when Becker’s left-footed effort smashed off the crossbar. At the other end, Mbappé missed another good opportunity. Imanol’s side pressed hard in the final minutes of the first half, looking to break the deadlock, but the Madrid defense and Courtois stood firm.
Just 20 seconds into the second half, Real Sociedad’s misfortune continued as the woodwork denied them once again. Sučić found himself one-on-one with Courtois, but his shot struck the post for a second time. Could their luck get any worse? As often happens, missed chances came back to haunt them. The referee pointed to the spot for a handball by Sergio Gómez, and Vinicius converted the penalty to give Real Madrid an undeserved lead. Despite the setback, La Real kept pushing and came close with a double header from Zubeldia and Aramburu. However, all their effort was undone by a nonexistent and unbelievably awarded penalty, following a VAR review, which Mbappé slotted home.
That was the end of the game. Real Sociedad couldn’t recover and suffered another home defeat. But with this level of effort, attitude, and play, the victories will come. We are Real.
Match details:
Real Sociedad: Remiro, Aramburu, Zubeldia (capt.), Aguerd (Pacheco, 75'), Javi López (Aihen, 78'), Zubimendi, Sučić (Turrientes, 75'), Sergio Gómez, Becker (Barrene, 63'), Take, and Sadiq (Óskarsson, 63').
Real Madrid: Courtois, Carvajal, Militao, Rudiger, Mendy, Valverde, Modric (capt.), Arda Guler (Lucas Vázquez, 77'), Brahim (Rodrigo, 24'), Vinicius, and Mbappé (Endrick, 88').
Goals: 0-1: Vinicius (pen.), 58'. 0-2: Mbappé (pen.), 75'.
Referee: Martínez Munuera. Booked Sadiq, Aramburu, Pacheco, and Barrene for Real Sociedad and Modric for Real Madrid.
Attendance: 37,370 spectators.