At the Reale Arena, Villarreal pulled ahead with a convincing 1-3 result, giving Marcelino García Toral’s squad reason for measured optimism despite the setback that Real Sociedad faced. The win injected a sense of forward momentum into Villarreal’s campaign, while Real Sociedad carried a heavier mood back to the locker rooms, their recent form underscoring the challenge ahead in La Liga’s battles.
The match began with Real Sociedad confronting two key issues. First, a largely empty south end, a protest by the Bultzada animation group following the arrest of Ertzaintza officers amid the altercation on November 8. Second, an injury forced Ander Barrenetxea off the field just six minutes into the game, disrupting the home side’s early plans. Still, Txuri Urdin did not capitulate. They created two clear scoring opportunities, including a sharp sequence that saw Brais Méndez feed Francis Coquelin, followed by a precise cross from the left that Arsen Zakharyan failed to convert into a finish.
Villarreal answered quickly. Gerard Moreno fired a strong shot from inside the box that was superbly repelled by Real Sociedad goalkeeper Álex Remiro. Then, in the ensuing corner, Santi Comesaña nodded the ball home, capitalizing on a fine delivery from Raul Albiol. The home side pushed for a foul on Remiro as he hit the ground, but the officials did not call the incident, and play continued.
Real Sociedad did not give up their pursuit, yet Real found it difficult to push through on the night. Another set piece coming from Real Sociedad was calmly dealt with, but the groguet area was not under significant threat as the chances ticked away.
One notable moment of the first half came when Javi Galán delivered a dangerous cross from the left that Albiol cleared at the near post, with Hamari Traoré lurking to pounce. Moments later, Zakharyan nearly equalized with a strike that rattled the crossbar from a narrow angle near the touchline, leaving the sides at a narrow margin as they headed into the dressing rooms.
The second period opened with a dramatic swing in momentum. A misstep by Jon Pacheco on a routine ball release gifted Álex Baena with a prime scoring opportunity, and he set up Comesaña to finish decisively, doubling Villarreal’s lead in the early stages after the break.
Real Sociedad’s reply was not long in coming, and their followers were treated to a moment of drama that reinforced the intensity of the contest. Yet the visitors could not reverse the trend. The tie remained precarious as the clock moved forward, and Real Sociedad found themselves needing a breakthrough to stem the bleeding.
As the match wore on, Villarreal showed patience and discipline, limiting Real Sociedad’s chances while probing for further opportunities to extend their lead. The tactical balance favored the visitors, who capitalized on clean counters and maintained compact defense when Real pressed high.
In the closing stages, the action intensified. Villarreal’s counter attacking line looked sharp, culminating in a late breakthrough that sealed the result and left Real Sociedad to regroup. The final whistle confirmed a 1-3 scoreline, a result that reflected Villarreal’s efficiency and Real Sociedad’s struggle to find rhythm at crucial moments.
Real Sociedad sits sixth in La Liga with 40 points, awaiting the next set of results from the league schedule. Villarreal climbed a place to 12th, reaching 29 points as they continue to navigate the season with steady improvements and clear goals for the remainder of the campaign. The matchup provided a stark reminder of the narrow margins that define top-flight football, where moments of precision can tilt the balance in a blink.
Source observations and highlights were provided by Movistar Plus+, underscoring the event as it unfolded for fans tuning in across the domes of Spain and beyond. The tale of this fixture will linger in the memory as a demonstration of Villarreal’s effectiveness in attack and Real Sociedad’s ongoing search for consistency.