Real Sociedad and Girona share the spoils in a 1-1 draw at Reale Arena

Real Sociedad settled for a 1-1 draw with Girona at the Reale Arena on a Saturday where the Basque side dominated possession and created chances. The late strike from Artem Dovbyk, the Ukrainian forward, equalized after a behaviorally confident performance that showcased Girona’s resilience and counted on a memorable moment from the Catalan club’s most expensive signing, a reminder of the high stakes in this fixture.

La Real opened with intent, maintaining the high pressing and quick transitions that defined their end-of-season form. The summer changes did not derail the rhythm. They pressed high, moved the ball with purpose, and looked to maintain the tempo even as the squad adjusted to new dynamics after the departure of David Silva and the absence of Mikel Merino from the lineup. The opening minutes set the tone for a compact, intense contest from first whistle.

The hosts signaled their intent early when Carlos Fernández narrowly found a goal in the very first seconds, but the decisive moment arrived shortly after. Take Kubo produced a superb cross that Aihen Muñoz finished with a crisp low strike in the 4th minute, giving Real Sociedad the lead and highlighting the interplay between the Japanese winger and the full-back in a sharp, quick-moving attack.

BLADES @Alihan11

What a great flanking game to give Kubo the first goal! #LALİGAenDAZN ⚽ pic.twitter.com/t7yiCWxUMQ

— DAZN Spain

— DAZN Spain has noted the early burst of the home side as Girona reorganized. A quarter of an hour later, the visitors were awarded a penalty after a minor contact in the box, which was overturned on VAR review, nullifying what could have been a turning point for Girona.

With a convincing pre-season on record and a forward-looking project this season, Girona grew into the game as it progressed. Real Sociedad faced no real danger in the first half as Álex Remiro stood firm, and the defensive line blocked several promising moves from the visitors, leaving the weight of the play on the home side for large stretches of the opening 45 minutes.

What followed was a physical duel between Le Normand and Stuani, with two yellow cards issued to players from both teams. Girona pushed, but the first-half action did not yield another breakthrough as the whistle signaled a tight, tactical end to the opening period. The Gipuzkoans remained compact, and Real Sociedad carried a slender lead into the break.

The pace did not drop after the restart. The match remained a test of endurance and discipline as both sides pressed with urgency. The hosts kept the ball moving with purpose, while Girona sought to disrupt the rhythm and attack on the break. The sense of a treasure at this stage of the season was clear as teams continued to work through their early-season arrangements.

Girona attempted repeated pushes, but Remiro was vigilant, and Real Sociedad’s organized defense limited the visitors to sporadic chances. The summer goal tally for Girona did not translate into immediate consistency at San Sebastián, and Míchel’s team began to tighten their shape as the minutes wore on, aiming to protect their lead and search for a second on the counter or set-piece moments.

Oyarzabal had the ball in a promising position late in the match, and his attempt looked to seal the result for Real Sociedad. His effort tested Gazzaniga, but the goalkeeper held firm, preserving a 1-0 edge for Girona to chase. The match then tipped at the other end as Real Sociedad pursued a late goal to cement the win, though the visitors held firm and escaped with a point after a tense, nerve-racking final phase.

AN AUTHENTIC TANK!

What a great start for Artem Dovbyk giving him a draw against @GironaFC!#LALİGAenDAZN ⚽ pic.twitter.com/DlHlbLsgPQ

— DAZN Spain

That Ukrainian connection came to life again around the 72nd minute. Tsygankov found Dovbyk in space, and the new forward did not miss his chance, converting with confidence to level the score and earn his side a point as the clock moved toward its final stretch.

Data sheet:

1 – Royal Society: Traoré (Alone, min. 72), Pacheco, Le Normand, Aihen; Zubimendi, Turrientes (Olasagasti, min. 79), Brais; Kubo (Cho, min. 72), Oyarzabal (Sadiq Umar, min. 72), and Carlos Fernández (Barrenetxea, min. 58).

1 – Girona: gazzaniga; Arnau (Bernardo, min. 90), David López, Blind, Miguel Gutiérrez, Yan Couto (Torre, min. 64); Yangel Herrera (Iván Martín, min. 85), Aleix García, Moreira (Valery, min. 64); Tsygankov and Stuani (Dovbyk, min. 64).

Goals: 1-0 min. 4: Get Kubo. 1-1 min. 72: Dovbyk.

Judge: Hernández Maeso. Le Normand warned Olasagasti, Sadiq, Arnau, Stuani and Miguel Gutiérrez.

events: On the eve of its 30th anniversary, the Reale Arena was nearly packed with around 30,848 fans, of whom about 500 were Girona supporters.