Real Sociedad emerged victorious with a 3-1 win over Elche in the 23rd round of La Liga, despite having 39% possession compared to Elche’s dominant 61%. Luka Sucic opened the scoring for the home side with a well-placed shot at the 23rd minute, followed shortly by a second goal from Mikel Oyarzábal at the 36th minute, putting the Txuri-urdines ahead 2-0 by halftime.
Elche worked to close the gap with André Silva’s powerful strike in the 41st minute, making it 2-1 before the break. However, the team could not maintain the momentum needed to equalize. A late goal from Orri Óskarsson in the 43rd minute of the second half sealed the fate of Elche, finalizing the score at 3-1.
A standout moment of the match was Óskarsson’s goal, which came after a well-placed cross from Jon Gorrotxategi, allowing Óskarsson to finish from inside the box.
Mikel Oyarzábal was named Man of the Match not only for scoring a goal but also for his two attempts on goal and successful completion of 17 passes. Luka Sucic also played a crucial role for Real Sociedad, scoring once and fully contributing to the team’s midfield strength.
The head coach of Real Sociedad, Pellegrino Matarazzo, opted for a 4-4-2 formation with Alex Remiro as goalkeeper; Álvaro Odriozola, Igor Zubeldía, Duje Caleta-Car, and Sergio Gómez in defense; Pablo Marín, Jon Gorrotxategi, Carlos Soler, and Luka Sucic in midfield; and Gonçalo Guedes along with Mikel Oyarzábal leading the attack.
In contrast, Elche’s coach Eder Sarabia employed a 5-3-2 strategy, including Iñaki Peña as goalkeeper; John Donald, Víctor Chust, David Affengruber, Léo Pétrot, and Germán Valera in defense; Grady Diangana, Martim Neto, and Aleix Febas in the midfield; and Alvaro Rodriguez along with André Silva upfront.
The match at Anoeta was officiated by referee José Guzmán Mansilla.
Looking ahead, Real Sociedad will next face Real Madrid, while Elche is set to host Osasuna. Currently, Real Sociedad stands in eighth position with 31 points, whereas Elche is in thirteenth place with 24 points in the league.
Substitutions in Real Sociedad
28’ 1T – Luka Sucic out, Beñat Turrientes in
63’ 2T – Gonçalo Guedes out, Job Ochieng in; Álvaro Odriozola out, Jon Aramburu in
80’ 2T – Carlos Soler out, Yangel Herrera in
81’ 2T – Mikel Oyarzábal out, Orri Óskarsson in
Yellow Cards for Real Sociedad
47’ 1T – Pellegrino Matarazzo (Insulting or dissenting the referee)
Substitutions in Elche
54’ 2T – John Donald out, Adriá Pedrosa in
55’ 2T – Martim Neto out, Marc Aguado in
72’ 2T – Léo Pétrot out, Lucas Cepeda in; Víctor Chust out, Pedro Bigas in
78’ 2T – Grady Diangana out, Gonzalo Villar in
Yellow Cards for Elche
6’ 1T – David Affengruber (Holding an opponent to prevent advancement)
49’ 1T – Aleix Febas (Insulting or dissenting the referee)
19’ 2T – Grady Diangana (Holding an opponent to prevent advancement)
41’ 2T – Gonzalo Villar (Holding an opponent to prevent advancement)