Real Valladolid clinched a 1-0 victory over Real Sociedad thanks to Sergio Lef3n early in the match, a strike that stood after two later goals were ruled out. The decision by the officials kept the Blanquivioletas ahead as the clock ticked and the visitors pressed in pursuit of an equalizer.
From the opening whistle, the hosts set out to control the tempo against an opponent known for dictating possession. The two sides traded midfield battles, but Valladolid demonstrated confidence in their approach, and the game soon tilted in their favor as they sought to pin Sociedad back.
Valladolid showed poise despite facing a Real Sociedad side arriving on the back of five straight wins. After a 4-1 victory over Celta, the home side forced the action and limited the Basques to reactive play in the early exchanges. In the 10th minute, an effort from Monchu found the back of the net, but the goal was disallowed after a foul by Plano on Brais Me9ndez in the buildup.
Carlos Ferne1ndez nearly breached Masip’s goal as the visitors responded, but Sociedad could not sustain a sustained siege in the early stages. Valladolid then orchestrated a swift counterattack. A long ball released Sergio Lef3n into space, the forward outrunning the blue-and-white line and finishing low past Remiro to blister the scoreboard at 1-0. The goal intensified Sociedad’s urgency as they looked for a quick response. Kubo, lively on the right, repeatedly beat his man and delivered crosses that Valladolid cleared, with Masip actively snuffing danger.
Despite the setback, Real Sociedad kept the siege in Valladolid’s half, and Masip had to deal with a sharp drive from Kubo after a turnover near the end of the first half. The ball skipped free from a deflection, and a subsequent cross found Zubimendi at the edge of the box, only for a wagging offside flag to erase the potential equalizer—Karrikaburu deemed marginally offside after a prior touch by Merino had created the chance.
The halftime whistle left the scoreboard as it stood, with Valladolid clinging to a fragile advantage, even as Sociedad controlled possession for long spells. The match resumed with Real rolling forward, while Valladolid looked for quick counters and tried to exploit any exposed gaps. The introduction of Plata sparked fresh momentum for the home side, and he immediately offered a new outlet in transition, pressing up and creating dangerous situations with his runs.
As the clock moved into the second half, Valladolid remained stubborn at the back and exposed gaps whenever Sociedad pushed high. The game grew more frantic, with both teams trading chances in a high-tempo spell. The Ecuadorian forward Weissman, a constant threat, linked with Sergio Lef3n in a sequence that tested Remiro again, though the finishing touch failed to arrive.
Valladolid’s defense, marshaled by a compact block in the middle, withstood repeated pressure as Sociedad sought to level. At times the game threatened to spill over with the pace of the pressing, yet each attempt was repelled by disciplined defending or a key intervention from Masip. As the minutes wore on, the visitors pushed harder, peppering the area with crosses and late shots from distance.
The match reached its most eventful phase when Zubimendi delivered a curling pass that found Merino in the middle of the box, but Merino could not convert as Valladolid’s defense recovered quickly. A few moments later, a goal from Feddal inside his own box would have given Sociedad a lifeline had the ball not been cleared, leaving the visitors chasing a second goal.
Late in the game, Real Sociedad continued to probe the Blanquivioletas, but the home side held their shape, maintaining the narrow lead that had sprung from that first-half moment. A tense finish followed with the clock winding down and Valladolid clinging to their advantage in a compact, organized defensive display that frustrated the more prolific attackers from the Basque side.
The final whistle confirmed a hard-fought win for Real Valladolid at Jose Zorrilla, witnessed by a crowd of around twenty-one thousand two hundred spectators. The result underscored Valladolid’s ability to manage a match against a team renowned for keeping possession and provided a glimpse of the potential for their counter-attacking play when executed with discipline and pace.