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Real Sociedad fell 2-1 to Real Madrid at Anoeta this afternoon in a match that quickly turned against them. Despite the txuri urdin’s determination, and even with Madrid reduced to ten men in the first half, they couldn’t turn the tide and went into halftime two goals down.
Madrid took an early lead, their clinical finishing making the difference. Mbappé capitalized on a defensive mistake to make it 1-0 within the first 15 minutes. The French striker also struck the post, while Barrene’s long-range effort hit the side netting. Real Madrid controlled the pace of the game, though Remiro made two superb saves from Militao headers to prevent the visitors from doubling their advantage. Just after the half-hour mark, Madrid were reduced to ten men when Huijsen was sent off. From that point, Real pushed forward but struggled to create clear-cut chances in front of Courtois. Before halftime, Carvajal headed against the post from a set piece, and shortly after, Güler made it 2-0, leaving the home side shocked.
Real Sociedad started the second half with renewed energy. Marín came close with a shot that ricocheted off Militao and hit both posts. Sergio Francisco’s side pulled one back when Oyarzabal converted a penalty, and Anoeta began to roar. With 30 minutes remaining, there was still time to at least rescue a draw. Ćaleta-Car almost made it, failing to connect with a loose ball in the box from a wide free-kick. In the final stages, the Basques threw everything at the game, but Madrid held firm at the back to secure the victory.
The defeat keeps Real Sociedad from moving up the table. There were encouraging signs today, but the opponents left no room for error, and despite their best efforts, the team fell short. Attention now turns to Friday, when they travel to Villamarín.
Match details:
Real Sociedad: Remiro, Aritz (Aramburu, 57’), Zubeldia, Ćaleta-Car, Sergio Gómez, Gorrotxa (Karrikaburu, 78’), Marín (Zakharyan, 66’), Goti (Soler, 57’), Barrene, Guedes (Take, 66’), Oyarzabal (captain)
Real Madrid: Courtois, Carvajal (captain)(Trent, 83’), Militao, Huijsen, Carreras, Tchouameni, Ceballos (Asensio, 67’), Brahim (Valverde, 46’), Güler (Alaba, 88’), Vinicius (Fran García, 68’), Mbappé
Goals: 0-1: Mbappé, 12’. 0-2: Güler, 44’. 1-2: Oyarzabal (pen), 56’.
Referee: Gil Manzano. Booked: Zubeldia, Barrene (RS); Mbappé (RM). Sent off: Huijsen (RM, 32’).
Attendance: 36,958 spectators