In a gripping matchup at Balaídos Stadium, the Celestes and the Txuri-urdines ended their clash with a 1-1 draw during the ninth round of the league.
Celta got off to a strong start by taking the lead in the 19th minute with an impressive goal from Pablo Duran. However, Real Sociedad fought back to level the score with a strike from Carlos Soler in the 89th minute of the second half.
Pablo Duran received applause for his skillful finish early in the match. After a well-placed cross from Óscar Mingueza, Duran struck the ball into the net.
Despite dominating the attack with 18 attempts compared to Celta’s 4, Real Sociedad could not convert their opportunities into goals. Out of the 18 shots, 11 were on target, while 6 went wide.
Carlos Soler was a standout player, not only scoring a crucial goal but also completing 8 accurate passes and attempting 3 shots.
Another significant performer was Ionut Radu, Celta’s goalkeeper, who made 7 crucial saves and completed 33 accurate passes throughout the match.
Celta’s head coach, Claudio Giráldez, opted for a 3-4-3 formation, with Ionut Radu in goal; Javier Rodríguez, Carl Starfelt, and Marcos Alonso forming the defense; Óscar Mingueza, Ilaix Moriba, Hugo Sotelo, and Sergio Carreira in midfield; and Ferrán Jutglà, Borja Iglesias, and Pablo Duran leading the attack.
On the other side, Sergio Francisco’s team lined up in a 4-4-2 formation, featuring Alex Remiro in goal; Jon Aramburu, Igor Zubeldía, Duje Caleta-Car, and Aihen Muñoz in defense; Brais Méndez, Yangel Herrera, Jon Gorrotxategi, and Sergio Gómez in the midfield; and Mikel Oyarzábal and Ander Barrenetxea up front.
Juan Martínez Munuera officiated the match, ensuring order on the pitch.
Looking ahead, Celta will face Osasuna away in their next game, while Real Sociedad will host Sevilla at home. Currently, the Celestes sit in 17th place in the standings with 7 points, while the Txuri-urdines are in 18th, trailing with 6 points.
Celta Substitutions
45’ 2T – Hugo Sotelo out for Carlos Dominguez
53’ 2T – Borja Iglesias out for Hugo Álvarez; Óscar Mingueza out for Javi Rueda
69’ 2T – Ferrán Jutglà out for Jones El-Abdellaoui
84’ 2T – Pablo Duran out for Fran Beltrán
Celta Bookings:
29’ 1T – Carl Starfelt (Unsporting behavior)
11’ 2T – Javi Rueda (Unsporting behavior)
49’ 2T – Ilaix Moriba (Unsporting behavior)
Celta Sending Off:
45’ 1T – Carl Starfelt (Red card for second yellow)
Real Sociedad Substitutions
56’ 2T – Yangel Herrera out for Pablo Marín
66’ 2T – Brais Méndez out for Carlos Soler; Aihen Muñoz out for Gonçalo Guedes
75’ 2T – Jon Aramburu out for Jon Karrikaburu; Ander Barrenetxea out for Arsen Zakharyan
Real Sociedad Bookings:
33’ 1T – Sergio Gómez (Unsporting behavior)
37’ 1T – Igor Zubeldía (Unsporting behavior)
46’ 1T – Yangel Herrera (Arguing with an opponent)