Beñat Turrientes scored one minute after coming on at halftime to give Real Sociedad the lead, but they conceded a late equaliser to draw 1-1 with Union Saint-Gilloise in their second Europa League group game. Pellegrino Matarazzo's side are now without a win in their opening two European matches this season. This result adds to a recent run of two wins, one draw and two defeats in their last five matches across all competitions.
The Argentine coach made a key change at the break, bringing on Turrientes for Yangel Herrera. The Basque midfielder capitalised on a high press on Van de Perre to score the opening goal. Real Sociedad, who sit sixth in La Liga with 13 points from a record of four wins, one draw and three losses from eight games, looked more solid defensively after the interval, reorganising into a back five. In the league standings, the team is eleven points behind the leaders, Barcelona.
Tactical adjustments
Matarazzo reshaped the defensive block, switching to a 5-2-3 in a low block. Job Ochieng moved to the left flank alongside Guilherme, while Igor Zubeldia shifted centrally to mark Mofokeng. Jon Martín was left free to cover the opponent's diagonal runs, in a scheme similar to the one used against Bournemouth. The collective performance was sound, though the equalising goal came once again from the right side of the five-man defence, the same weak spot exploited on matchday one.
Individual performances
Several players had mixed performances. Unai Marrero, rated 7, made a brave and effective clearance in the second half, though he could not prevent the equaliser. Turrientes also received a 7 for his immediate impact. On the negative side, Igor Zubeldia, who assisted Keita's goal for Union, and Luka Sucic, who missed a clear chance, got the lowest ratings (4.5). Mikel Oyarzabal, with a 4, looked subdued and was offside for a first-half goal attempt.
Croatian forward Luka Sucic is Real Sociedad's top scorer in the league this season with three goals. The team, which has scored twelve goals and conceded fifteen in the domestic competition, now faces a trip to face bottom-placed Malaga next Sunday. Matarazzo's men will look to correct their inconsistent form, which in the last five matches reads two wins, one draw and two defeats.
The report in full is at El Desmarque
Argentine manager Pellegrino Matarazzo acknowledged the frustration after the draw in Belgium. "It hurts a lot to have let the victory slip in the last minute," the coach stated. The club, sitting sixth in La Liga with 13 points, confirmed the Union Saint-Gilloise equaliser came in the 88th minute from Sekou Keita, following a failed clearance by Igor Zubeldia. The next fixture is on Sunday at Malaga.
Manager Pellegrino Matarazzo highlighted the lack of cutting edge after the draw in Belgium. "We dominated the ball but didn't create clear chances," the Argentine declared. The official match data confirms Real had just one shot on target to Union's five, despite having 56% possession. The team, sitting sixth in La Liga, maintains its next fixture on Sunday in Malaga.
