Real Sociedad 1-1 Girona: Dovbyk debuts with a goal as Kubo strike holds in Anoeta

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Real Sociedad hosted Girona on Saturday in the opening LaLiga match of the 2023-24 season. Imanol Alguacil’s squad aimed to start strong at home, but the Catalan visitors, coming off a solid previous campaign, offered stubborn resistance. This article recounts the events at the Reale Arena, where the game finished 1-1 thanks to a goal from Take Kubo and a debut strike by Artem Dovbyk.

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FULL TIME

72′ GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL FROM ARTEM DOVBYK !!! Real Sociedad 1-1 Girona. A debut goal for Dovbyk as he capitalizes on a precise cross from Viktor Tsygankov and slots it past Álex Remiro to level the score. The Ukrainian striker, who joined from Dnipro in the summer transfer window, marks his first Primera Division appearance with an important strike for his new club.

SECOND HALF KICKS OFF!

The blanquiazul side has produced four total shots, with just one beating the goalkeeper. Take Kubo opened the scoring in the fifth minute. Real Sociedad controlled the ball early and maintained a slim lead, keeping Girona at arm’s length but knowing danger could come at any moment in the second period.

Halftime in San Sebastián ends with Real Sociedad ahead thanks to Kubo’s early strike that came from a patient build and a clever movement on the left flank. The home side pressed high and attacked with intent, while Girona held a bit of ball possession, surpassing 60 percent, but failed to test the Real Sociedad goalkeeper apart from a few aerial challenges and a couple of forays near the area.

End of the first half in the Reale Arena!

45′ + 1′ A clash on the edge of the box leads to a spillover of tension as Robin Le Normand is slapped in the face by Cristhian Stuani. The crowd reacts with protests, and the referee issues a yellow card to both sides as a cautionary measure to cool the atmosphere. Stuani becomes the first Girona player to be cautioned.

FACT: Míchel Sánchez becomes Girona’s most-used coach in LaLiga matches with 38 games, recording 13 wins, 10 draws and 15 losses, surpassing his two predecessors who also spent a season in the league.

FACT: Imanol Alguacil has not lost any of his four LaLiga matches against Míchel Sánchez as Real Sociedad coach (2 draws, 2 wins). He has suffered more defeats against other managers in similar head-to-heads, including Mendilibar, Arrasate, and González, among others.

14′ No penalty for Real Sociedad. After a VAR review, the referee confirms no foul by Daley Blind on Mikel Oyarzabal and stays with the original decision.

12′ The referee heads to the monitor for a second look at the contact on the edge of the box to re-evaluate the incident.

11′ Penalty awarded. Daley Blind charges into the challenge with Mikel Oyarzabal and is ruled to have committed a foul inside the penalty area.

5′ GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOL FROM TAKE KUBO!!! Real Sociedad lead 1-0. A swift move starts from the left with Aihen Muñoz and culminates in Kubo finishing with his left foot to beat Gazzaniga. The season opens with a strike from Kubo, a familiar protagonist from last season for Real Sociedad.

1′ Early phases see Take Kubo on the right and Mikel Oyarzabal on the left, with Carlos Fernández through the middle. Real Sociedad lines up with a dynamic, wing-oriented approach.

START OF THE MATCH! REAL SOCIEDAD AND GIRON A ARE UNDERWAY!

XI OF REAL SOCIEDAD

Real Sociedad lineup imagery and commentary captions outline the players for the opening clash.

XI OF GIRONA

Source: Goal

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