Real Sociedad v Real Madrid Live Commentary & Result, 02/05/2023, Primera División

Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	F	A	+/-	PTS	Form
1	BAR Barcelona	38	28	4	6	70	20	+50	88	L W L L W
2	RMA Real Madrid	38	24	6	8	75	36	+39	78	D W W L W
3	ATM Atlético Madrid	38	23	8	7	70	33	+37	77	D W D W L
4	RSO Real Sociedad	38	21	8	9	51	35	+16	71	W L W W D
5	VIL Villarreal	38	19	7	12	59	40	+19	64	D L W W W
6	BET Real Betis	38	17	9	12	46	41	+5	60	D W L D W
7	OSA Osasuna	38	15	8	15	37	42	-5	53	W L W L W
8	ATH Athletic Club	38	14	9	15	47	43	+4	51	D L L W L
9	MLL Mallorca	38	14	8	16	37	43	-6	50	W L W L W
10	GIR Girona	38	13	10	15	58	55	+3	49	L L D L D
11	RAY Rayo Vallecano	38	13	10	15	45	53	-8	49	L W L L L
12	SEV Sevilla	38	13	10	15	47	54	-7	49	L L D D W
13	CEL Celta de Vigo	38	11	10	17	43	53	-10	43	W L D L L
14	CAD Cádiz	38	10	12	16	30	53	-23	42	D W L W L
15	GET Getafe	38	10	12	16	34	45	-11	42	D W W D L
16	VAL Valencia	38	11	9	18	42	45	-3	42	D D L W W
17	ALM Almería	38	11	8	19	49	65	-16	41	D D L W L
18	VLD Real Valladolid	38	11	7	20	33	63	-30	40	D D W L L
19	ESP Espanyol	38	8	13	17	52	69	-17	37	D D D W L
20	ELC Elche	38	5	10	23	30	67	-37	25	D W D D W

That is all from us folks, thanks for joining us. Goodbye!

This result means Atletico Madrid could leapfrog their rivals with a win over Cadiz on Wednesday, and Ancelotti will no doubt be happy to see this LaLiga season come to an end. While they have a Champions League campaign to focus on, La Real have a superb chance of joining them next season, with this 2-0 success meaning they are now eight points clear of fifth-placed Villarreal.

Sociedad extend their unbeaten run to four matches at Real Madrid's expense, and it is a result that gives their top-four hopes a huge shot in the arm. Both teams were wasteful in front of goal in the first 45 minutes, in particular, Sociedad, who hit the crossbar through Zubimendi from close range from a corner. The hosts did not let that unsettle them, though, and they came flying out of the blocks after the break and scored through Kubo. A poor backpass from Militao handed Kubo possession, and he tapped the ball home past Courtois. Ancelotti's gameplan unravelled on the hour mark when right-back Carvajal was sent to the stands for his second yellow card. After being shown the first for dissent, Carvajal was shown his second for a poor challenge, and the visitors never recovered from that. Barrenetxea stepped off the bench and secured all three points with a neat finish at the near post to beat Courtois.

90' + 5' FULL-TIME - REAL SOCIEDAD 2-0 REAL MADRID.

90' + 3' BLOCK! Real Madrid look for a consolation goal from a corner as Militao tries to scramble the ball home, but Remiro does enough to dive in the way of the ball.

Rodrygo

Yellow Card

90' + 1' Rodrygo, just like Carvajal did for his first yellow card, talks himself into the referee's book.

90' + 1' Barrenetxea has now scored two goals in five appearances in LaLiga against Real Madrid.

90' + 1' Five minutes of stoppage time to come...

90' The tie is over now as a spectacle, and there is no doubt that La Real deserve to claim all three points. They have taken the game to the defending champions all evening and seized their opportunities to improve their chances of finishing in the top four.

Illarramendi

David Silva

89' Silva's night is over and he was met by a huge round of applause from the home fans, with Illarramendi on for the final few minutes.

Nacho

Yellow Card

87' A poorly-timed challenge earns Nacho a yellow card.

David Silva

Assist

85' Playmaker Silva reaps the rewards for his throughball, and he has ran the show in midfield.

Barrenetxea

Goal

85' GAME SET AND MATCH! REAL SOCIEDAD 2-0 REAL MADRID - Barrenetxea seals the points for the hosts as he slots the ball home at the near post to beat Courtois. He had loads to do when he collected Silva's looping throughball, but due to Real Madrid's numerical disadvantage, they struggled to get players across the box to block him. Two of Ancelotti's stars eventually made their way across the penalty area, but Barrenetxea still found the space he needed to trouble Courtois before blasting his shot into the bottom corner.

Sergio Arribas

Marco Asensio

82' That block was Asensio's last involvement, as he makes way for Arribas.

81' From the resulting free-kick, Courtois makes an important save as he showcases his incredible reactions to keep the score at 1-0. The former Chelsea ace had to show his flexibility, but he did enough to tip away Barrenetxea's shot, which took a wicked deflection off Asensio.

Dani Ceballos

Yellow Card

79' A clumsy challenge from Ceballos on the edge of his own box gifts Sociedad a free-kick in a dangerous position...

76' If things stay as they are and La Real record a 1-0 win, Sociedad will move to within five points of third-placed Atletico Madrid, although they will have played one match more than Diego Simeone's side.

Carlos Fernández

A. Sørloth

74' Striker Sorloth also makes way after his tireless performance, and Fernandez is the one that takes his place in the final third.

Barrenetxea

T. Kubo

74' Goalscorer Kubo is given a standing ovation from the home fans as he is replaced by Barrenetxea.

72' Carvajal's red card is only his second red card in LaLiga and his first since December 2017.

69' As expected, the sting of this fixture has just been lost a little by Carvajal's moment of madness. Ancelotti is desperately trying to adjust his tactics in order to get a result, while Sociedad are just enjoying the extra space in midfield.

66' Carvajal's red card could totally change the dynamic tonight for Madrid, as they can no longer go for broke and try to equalise. Sociedad, if they are calculated, can kill this tie as a spectacle; they just cannot afford to rest on their laurels.

Jon Pacheco

Zubeldia

64' Pacheco will also get the chance to impress for La Real, with Zubeldia the one to make way.

Elustondo

Gorosabel

63' Gorosabel's game is now over, with Elustondo on for the final 27 minutes.

Lucas Vázquez

T. Kroos

63' Ancelotti freshens up his midfield, with Lucas Vazquez replacing Kroos.

61' RED CARD! Carvajal is shown a second yellow and then a red card after a dangerous tackle on Sociedad left-back Munoz. Ever since he was carded for dissent, Carvajal struggled to keep a lid on his emotions, and he has taken one risk too many. He overstretched and lunged into a challenge on Munoz, and he will now watch the rest of the match from the dressing room.

60' La Real may need to tweak things to adjust to Ancelotti's first substitution, but Sociedad are well in control and they deserve their lead.

Á. Rodríguez

M. Díaz

59' Diaz has done himself no favours if he wants to start again under Ancelotti, and he is now replaced by Rodriguez.

57' OVER! Zubimendi's shooting boots must have been left at home as his latest effort flies over the crossbar. While his decision to shoot from 25 yards out was not destined to result in a goal, he should have done better on that occasion.

55' SAVE! Remiro comes to La Real's success once again, getting down low to his left to deny Kroos from a short corner.

Dani Carvajal

Yellow Card

53' Carvajal receives a yellow card for dissent, which means he will miss his team's next match. He was pulled back by Oyarzabal, which the referee spotted, but the official was not happy to see Carvajal ask for a card to be shown.

51' Kubo has scored his eighth goal in LaLiga this season, and he will do well to be given an easier chance than that.

49' A lot of Sociedad's openings in the first half came through Sorloth's relentless pressure up front. He gets his reward after a few minutes of the second half, and Ancelotti's side now have their work cut out if they want to draw level.

T. Kubo

Goal

47' GOAAALLLL - REAL SOCIEDAD 1-0 REAL MADRID - A moment to forget for Militao, as his shocking pass gifts the home side their first goal. Sorloth forced the defender to turn and pass back towards Courtois, but he put far too much power on his cutback. Courtois was, therefore, a sitting duck as he watched Kubo slide in at the far post to score. Huge goal for La Real.

46' Sociedad make a strong start to the second half, but Oyarzabal's cross just misses Sorloth inside the penalty area.

46' We are back underway, with neither manager making changes at the break.

Rodrygo, Diaz and especially Asensio need to do more in the second 45 minutes, but in fairness, the rest of Madrid's midfield need to do more to create chances. A draw is a great result for Sociedad, so they are unlikely to change things too early.

The game is goalless at the break, but that comes as a surprise considering a blistering first 25 minutes. Both teams created chances, but Tchouameni and Militao were denied by fine saves by Remiro. The home side responded quickly, though, with Sorloth going close, only for Militao to get an important block in on the penalty spot. Munoz, Silva and then Zubimendi all wasted solid opportunities to score for La Real and hopefully, both sides can continue to perform at the same levels in the second 45 minutes.

45' + 3' HALF-TIME - REAL SOCIEDAD 0-0 REAL MADRID.

45' + 1' Sorloth may have bust his nose, but he is running around the side of the pitch and will soon rejoin the action.

45' That stoppage time may go on for some time as Sorloth goes to ground after a clash of heads with Rudiger in the box. On comes the medical team to do their checks.

44' Three minutes of stoppage time to come...

43' In terms of goalmouth action, we have had very little for at least 10 minutes, but both teams have shown us what they are capable of heading into the second half.

40' With the half-time break approaching, Ancelotti will be pleased to see his side still firmly in the contest. At one point, it looked like the game was getting away from them, but they have used their experience to assert some control.

38' Sociedad striker Sorloth started the game like a man possessed, but he is just struggling to assert his dominance in the last five minutes.

35' Neither goalkeeper has been forced into making a save for at least five minutes, but neither defence are giving up an inch. This is a close contest, and long may it continue.

33' The atmosphere has just started to go a little flat inside the stadium, but the home fans can have no complaints so far. Their side are fighting for every ball and taking the match to the second-best team in LaLiga.

31' They still have plenty of quality players out on the pitch, but Madrid are missing Benzema's leadership in the final third. Diaz has barely touched the ball, and Ancelotti will need to find a way to get him involved.

28' We have played just over 28 minutes, and we have just reached our first lull in proceedings after a pretty frantic opening; we can have no complaints.

26' Madrid have won on 10 of their 18 visits to the Reale Arena in LaLiga in the 21st century, making them the away side with the most wins in the competition against La Real at their venue in the period. However, if the home side can maintain this performance, they might be able to get a result.

24' Boos are ringing around the stadium after that yellow card, as Sociedad's fans feel they should have had a penalty beforehand. Oyarzabal went to ground after a coming together with Militao, but the official said there was little in it.

Gorosabel

Yellow Card

22' Gorosabel is the first player to be booked after a strong challenge in midfield while Real Madrid were mounting an attack.

19' SAVE! Courtois comes to the rescue to deny Silva after another thrilling counter-attack from Sociedad. Sorloth pinched the ball from Rudiger, and teed up Silva, but the former Manchester City player could only shoot straight at Courtois.

16' Ancelotti has an injury to worry about here, with Militao down receiving treatment after a strong challenge in midfield by Merino.

14' AGAIN!! Zubimendi rattles the crossbar from a corner, and somehow this game is still without a goal. A Sociedad corner brushed the head of Sorloth, who turned the ball towards Zubimendi. The centre-back got underneath the ball, though, and his effort hit the crossbar before bouncing clear.

13' CHANCE! Sociedad should be in the lead, but Munoz has fired over the crossbar from point-blank range, and the most relieved man in the world is Courtois, who was a sitting duck on that occasion.

12' OVER! Sociedad respond immediately but settle for a corner as Sorloth's shot from the penalty spot is deflected over the crossbar after a desperate block from Militao.

11' La Real survive for now, with the home side keeping the Spanish champions at bay after defending back-to-back corners and a free-kick. However, if that is a sign of things to come, they could be in trouble tonight.

9' SUPERB SAVE! Remiro makes a stunning stop to deny Militao, with his diving effort enough to concede a corner. The visitors are really piling on the pressure now.

8' A rushed back-pass puts Remiro under pressure and he is forced to concede a corner...

6' SAVE! Remiro is the first goalkeeper called into action, and he deals with Tchouameni's long-range effort without breaking a sweat before the ball rebounds off Rodrygo and out for a goal-kick.

4' We have had a cagey start, with the only sniff of a goal coming through Sorloth as he tried to dispossess Rudiger at the back. Thankfully for Ancelotti, the defender recovered his footing after a slip and cleared the danger from the halfway line. Sorloth would have needed to cover plenty of ground, but he was alone and in plenty of space if Rudiger had not recovered.

2' The stadium is packed to the brim with anxious Sociedad fans as they try to secure a top-four finish, and inside the first few minutes, they are making themselves heard.

1' We are underway!

The players are now making their way onto the pitch at the Reale Arena, and kick-off is moments away.

Sociedad have lost four of their last nine games against Real Madrid in LaLiga, having suffered nine defeats in their previous 10 league meetings with Los Blancos.

La Real boss Imanol Alguacil Barrenetxea is still without Sadiq Umar and Martin Merquelanz due to injury, but Rico has recovered to take his place on the bench. After missing the 2-0 win over Osasuna, Oyarzabal and Sorloth return to the fold to start as part of a front three. Ancelotti cannot call upon the services of Ferland Mendy and David Alaba through injury, while a hamstring issue keeps Luka Modric on the sidelines, and he is a doubt for the Copa del Rey final. Vinicius Junior and Eduardo Camavinga are suspended, while Karim Benzema has been rested, with Ancelotti keeping one eye on their Champions League campaign. Diaz will play through the middle, hoping to score his first league goal of the season.

SUBS: Andrii Lunin, Luis Lopez, Jesus Vallejo, Eden Hazard, Federico Valverde, Alvaro Odriozola, Lucas Vazquez, Carlos Dotor, Sergio Arribas, Alvaro Rodriguez, Nico Paz.

REAL MADRID (4-3-3): Thibaut Courtois; Nacho, Antonio Rudiger, Eder Militao, Dani Carvajal; Toni Kroos, Aurelien Tchouameni, Dani Ceballos; Rodrygo, Mariano Diaz, Marco Asensio.

SUBS: Andoni Zubiaurre, Alex Sola, Asier Illarramendi, Aritz Elustondo, Ander Barrenetxea, Carlos Fernandez, Mohamed-Ali Cho, Diego Rico, Ander Guevara, Robert Navarro, Jon Pacheco, Brais Mendez.

REAL SOCIEDAD (4-3-3): Alex Remiro; Aihen Munoz, Robin Le Normand, Igor Zubeldia, Andoni Gorosabel; David Silva, Martín Zubimendi, Mikel Merino; Mikel Oyarzabal, Alexander Sorloth, Takefusa Kubo.

La Real will prove a tough nut to crack, though, as they are hoping to extend their unbeaten run to four matches here. They, too, have only lost two in their previous nine, while at home, they are unbeaten in six.

Carlo Ancelotti's side will look to make it back-to-back victories in the Spanish top flight after their 4-2 win over Almeria, and they have only lost two of their previous nine in all competitions. Only Villarreal and Girona have got the better of them of late, and they will travel with confidence this evening.

Hello and welcome to our live coverage of the LaLiga clash between Real Sociedad and Real Madrid. There is plenty riding on the result of this encounter, with both teams fighting it out in the top four.

Real Sociedad v Real Madrid Live Commentary, 02/05/2023

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