After a strong start, coach Marcelino García Toral watched Villarreal experience a notable shift in momentum. The new phase of his tenure began with a setback—a league defeat at the hands of Real Sociedad, the Basque club. The visitors struck late in the first half, courtesy of Merino, Zubimendi, and a late surge from Kubo, sealing a 0-1 advantage that Villarreal could not overturn. This spell of adversity marked Villarreal’s first league loss under the Spaniard’s guidance and signaled a wake-up call in a campaign that had shown early promise.
Real Sociedad did not let Villarreal settle. The visitors imposed themselves with sharp advanced play, threatening from both sides of the pitch. Mikel Merino and Adnan Sadiq fired early alarms, forcing goalkeeper Jorgensen into decisive interventions to keep the score level. Villarreal, meanwhile, found space mainly on the break, attempting to neutralize Sociedad’s pressure without surrendering their counterattacking edge. The balance tipped as the fixture wore on, testing Villarreal’s resolve to sustain a balanced attack while resisting sustained pressure from the opposition.
The match briefly paused as Jorgensen demonstrated why he is trusted between the posts for Villarreal, making crucial stops that kept the scoreline manageable. In the end, the home side’s forward line struggled to convert chances into goals, a recurring theme as the clock moved forward and Real Sociedad pressed with increasing confidence.
During the early exchanges, a sequence saw the ball relentlessly worked inside Villarreal’s half, with Merino and colleagues orchestrating the build-up. A moment in which Merino threaded a precise delivery toward Kubo culminated in a finish that broke the deadlock, sending the away support into raptures as the goal nestled into the back of the net. The decisive strike exposed vulnerabilities in Villarreal’s game plan and underscored Real Sociedad’s effectiveness in exploiting a favorable moment.
The first-half script continued to unfold as Real Sociedad extended their control. Villarreal attempted to respond, but the visitors’ defense remained compact, restricting clear openings for the attacker trio of Parejo, Baena, and Morales. A notable moment featured a set-piece routine from Villarreal that led to a knee injury for Parejo, temporarily interrupting play and diminishing Villarreal’s attacking rhythm. The interruption highlighted how minor disruptions can shift momentum in tightly contested fixtures.
As the interval approached, Merino waited in a position to shepherd a through-ball into a dangerous zone, with Kubo applying the decisive finish after a precise corner entry. The second goal arrived from this sequence, piercing Villarreal’s resolve and extending the visitors’ lead. The strike was a reminder of how quickly a match can tilt when a team capitalizes on a exposed moment in defense, especially against a side chasing a comeback in front of their home crowd.
Villarreal resumed with renewed intent, searching for a spark. The home side managed to create several promising moves. Parejo and Gerard Moreno combined in a bid to resurrect the game, with Remiro delivering a commanding reaction to suppress the danger on multiple occasions. A pair of double saves underscored the importance of goalkeeper impact in sustaining belief for a turnaround, while Real Sociedad maintained composure under pressure and refused to yield the initiative easily.
The match carried into a phase where both teams traded chances. Jorgensen again stood tall for Villarreal, denying a fourth after a challenging one-on-one, and Trouré tested the goalkeeper’s reflexes soon after. Baena produced a couple of ambitious efforts that skimmed just wide, while Moreno’s late effort climbed over the crossbar, signaling a last-gasp push from the home side. Real Sociedad, calm and assured, seemed ready to ride out the closing minutes and focus on their upcoming Champions League assignment in Milan.
With the clock winding down, Villarreal pressed without sufficient precision and were ultimately undone by the opponent’s disciplined shape and efficient counter-attacking transition. The result reflected a realistic assessment of the hosts’ current state: strong in build-up and pressure, yet still struggling to convert chances into the decisive goal that could alter the outcome. Real Sociedad, in contrast, executed their plan with clarity, preserved their lead, and demonstrated why they remain a formidable force in the league as the season progresses.