Real Sociedad secured a slender 2-1 win over Sevilla at the Reale Arena, a clash that started with the home side dictating tempo before Sevilla found momentum after halftime. The turning point came with two red cards—straight dismissals for Sergio Ramos and Jesús Navas—that quickly altered the balance and ended any realistic chance of a comeback for the visitors.
It has long been a hallmark of Real Sociedad to begin games with intensity and to push ahead early. True to form, they struck inside the first few minutes. Before the 4th minute, a free kick from Ander Barrenetxea found its way into the net, with goalkeeper Marko Dmitrovic contributing to the owncake of the scoreline as the ball deflected off him into the goal.
That early strike set the tone as Sevilla wrestled to respond. Youssef En-Nesyri crafted a fleeting counter that Alex Remiro disarmed with a well-timed save, signaling Real’s dominance in the opening period.
In a moment of high confidence, Sadiq Umar unleashed a powerful strike from distance, and even if Dmitrovic could not stop it completely, the shot found the back of the net, serving as a crucial goal for Real Sociedad after past knee trouble sidelined the Nigerian forward. The visitors struggled to settle into a cohesive rhythm as Real pressed for more.
The first half unfolded as a showcase of Real Sociedad’s control, while Sevilla appeared flustered and unable to mount a sustained response to the two-goal deficit.
Sevilla showed signs of improvement after the break. As the minutes ticked by, Remiro’s area became bustling with more activity, the ball staying closer to the home goal and demanding sharper reactions from Real’s goalkeeper. The best moments for the Andalusian side culminated when En-Nesyri nodded Adrià Pedrosa’s cross past Remiro, a goal that briefly reignited hope thanks to a touch of fortune from a rebound off a defensive block.
The goal sparked renewed urgency from Diego Alonso’s team, who immediately sought an equalizer. A Moroccan frontman tested Real’s resolve with a precise shot that hovered on the edge of danger before clearing the crossbar, illustrating Sevilla’s persistence even as they chased parity in the second half.
Real Sociedad, led by Imanol Alguacil, continued to push forward in reaction to Sevilla’s resurgence. Takefusa Kubo had a moment near the hour mark, nearly teeing up a finishing touch after a clever build-up, but Dmitrovic denied him with a clean save that preserved the two-goal cushion for the home team.
Moments later, the Japanese winger again squandered a one-on-one opportunity, and the shot was parried away by the Sevilla custodian, keeping the score intact as the clock ran down. The contest took another decisive turn when Ramos received a second yellow card, reducing Sevilla to ten men before the end of the encounter.
Following the yellow that had already cautioned him, Navas found himself dismissed after a consultation with the referee, culminating in Sevillista frustration as the game slipped further away. With eleven men briefly reduced to nine for Sevilla, Real Sociedad could manage the late minutes with relative ease and protect a valuable result, even if they did not need to chase a third goal as the match entered its final stages.
In the closing sequences, Real Sociedad held the advantage at home, resisting any late pressure from the visitors though the scoreline did not extend beyond the two goals. It was a performance that reflected the balance of the season’s early stages: a dominant opening, a spirited second-half response from Sevilla, and a decisive moment that shifted the outcome in Real Sociedad’s favor—driven by discipline, speed, and clinical finishing when it counted the most.
Data sheet:
2 – Royal Society: Remiro; Traoré (Aritz, m.84), Zubeldia, Le Normand, Aihen; Zubimendi, Merino (Turrientes, m.75), Brais; Kubo (Cho, m.84), Sadiq (Oyarzabal, m.75) and Barrenetxea (Zakaryan, m.67).
1 – Sevilla: Dmitrovic; Navas, Ramos, Badé (Nianzou, d.73), Pedrosa; Fernando (Mir, m.90), Soumaré (Torres, m.46), Rakitic; Ocampos (Gattoni, m.90), En-Nesyri and Lukebakio (Januzaj, m.73).
Goals: 1-0, m.4: Dmitrovic (own); 2-0, m.22: Sadık; 2-1, m.60: En-Nesyri.
Referee: Miguel Ángel Ortiz Arias (Madrid Committee). He cautioned Merino (33) and Traoré (78) for Real Sociedad; Ramos for Sevilla (82). He sent Ramos (86) and Navas (89) off the field after a direct red card following a Video Assistant Referee review.
Events: The match, aligned with LaLiga EA Sports’ 14th matchday, attracted 33,879 spectators at the Reale Arena.