Valenciavs
Real SociedadThere is a particular cruelty to losing a match you dominated on paper. Valencia finished with 54 percent of the ball, 21 shots, seven corners — and a defeat. Real Sociedad were messier, fouled more, eventually finished the game with ten men, and still walked out of Mestalla with three points. That is the story of Sunday night in Valencia.
The visitors drew first blood in the 26th minute. Job Ochieng found Luka Sucic, who finished cleanly to give Real Sociedad the lead against the run of early play. Valencia had been rattled before that — Justin de Haas and José Gayà picked up yellows in the 11th and 12th minutes respectively, back-to-back bookings that unsettled the home side's rhythm and handed Sociedad early psychological ground.
Valencia Bite Back
The second half brought a different Valencia. Aaron Mayol leveled in the 57th minute, converting a Hugo Duro assist, and Mestalla found its voice. For a spell, the home side looked like the ones pushing for a winner.
Then came the 75th minute. Carlos Soler stepped up and converted a penalty to put Real Sociedad back in front. Sucic had been booked himself in the 54th, and the match was fraying at the edges — but Soler's finish was composed, and suddenly Valencia needed to do it all over again.
They did, briefly. Luken Beitia's own goal in the 84th minute made it 2-2 and sent Mestalla into chaos. ¡Ala gran púchica! — a home player putting it in his own net to give Valencia the equalizer is not how anyone draws it up, but the crowd did not care. It was level, and there were six minutes to find a winner.
Real Sociedad found it instead.
Barrenetxea Ends It
Ander Barrenetxea, set up by Soler, buried the winner in the 90th+1st minute. That was that. Orri Óskarsson was then sent off in stoppage time — picking up two yellows in the 90th+6th — but by then it was academic. Real Sociedad saw out the final seconds a man short without much drama.
Our pre-match read called this one too close to split, and for long stretches that looked right — both sides ended with 21 shots and identical 80 percent pass accuracy. But Real Sociedad were more ruthless when it mattered. Three goals from four shots on target tells you everything about the efficiency gap on the night.
Valencia will feel the sting of this one for a while. They had the possession, the corners, the equalizer with six minutes left — and still lost. Their form now reads LWLLL, and the questions around this squad are only getting louder. Real Sociedad, meanwhile, showed the kind of composure that wins road games: absorb, punish, survive. Soler's two direct goal involvements were the difference, and el chispudo de Barrenetxea, arriving late at the back post, was the dagger.
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