In a thrilling encounter on Matchday 21 of La Liga, Mikel Oyarzábal, the talented forward for Real Sociedad, showcased his scoring prowess, netting two goals to lead his team to a decisive 3-1 victory against Celta at Anoeta Stadium. Oyarzábal opened the scoring with a clinical finish in the 16th minute and sealed his impressive performance with a powerful strike in the 74th minute, much to the delight of the home fans.
Real Sociedad’s victory was further complemented by a successfully converted penalty from Brais Méndez in the 50th minute, following a foul in the box. Celta’s lone goal came from Borja Iglesias, who found the back of the net in the 71st minute after a well-executed play.
Oyarzábal was undoubtedly the star of the match, contributing not only with his two goals but also registering two shots on target and completing 14 successful passes. Jon Gorrotxategi also put in a solid performance, boasting 46 successful passes and recovering four balls.
Coach Pellegrino Matarazzo fielded a 4-3-3 formation for Real Sociedad, with Alex Remiro in goal and a defensive line comprising Jon Aramburu, Jon Martín, Duje Caleta-Car, and Aihen Muñoz. The midfield included Jon Gorrotxategi, Beñat Turrientes, and Luka Sucic, while the attacking trio featured the dynamic combination of Gonçalo Guedes, Mikel Oyarzábal, and Ander Barrenetxea.
Celta, managed by Claudio Giráldez, utilized a 3-4-3 formation, positioning Ionut Radu in goal, with Manu Fernandez, Carl Starfelt, and Marcos Alonso in defense. Their midfield consisted of Sergio Carreira, Ilaix Moriba, Hugo Sotelo, and Hugo Álvarez, while the forward line was led by Jones El-Abdellaoui, Pablo Duran, and Bryan Zaragoza.
The match referee, Javier Alberola Rojas, oversaw the contest, which saw a total of five cautions and one red card.
Looking ahead, Real Sociedad will face Athletic Bilbao in an exciting away match, while Celta will travel to take on Getafe. The upcoming Basque derby promises to be a thrilling encounter for the Txuri-urdines.
With this victory, Real Sociedad now accumulates 27 points in the league, sitting in eighth place, while Celta finds themselves with 32 points, currently ranked seventh.
Substitutions for Real Sociedad
69’ – Gonçalo Guedes off for Pablo Marín
81’ – Luka Sucic off for Brais Méndez
85’ – Mikel Oyarzábal off for Orri Óskarsson
Yellow Card for Real Sociedad:
15’ – Luka Sucic (Unsporting behavior)
Red Card for Real Sociedad:
46’ – Duje Caleta-Car (Straight red)
Substitutions for Celta
45’ – Manu Fernandez off for Óscar Mingueza, Ander Barrenetxea off for Igor Zubeldía, Beñat Turrientes off for Álvaro Odriozola
55’ – Pablo Duran off for Borja Iglesias, Ilaix Moriba off for Iago Aspas
76’ – Hugo Sotelo off for Miguel Román, Sergio Carreira off for Williot Swedberg
Yellow Cards for Celta:
47’ – Bryan Zaragoza (Holding an opponent to prevent advancement)
18’ – Claudio Giráldez (Insulting or dissenting against the referee)