REAL SOCIEDAD 1 – ALAVÉS 0 | Zubimendi unbalances the matched Reale Arena derby

The Basque derby between Real Sociedad and Deportivo Alavés stayed in San Sebastián thanks to a headed goal in the second half by Martín Zubimendi. The midfielder from San Sebastian, who came out just after the break, unbalanced the balance of a very even and deputy derby, to the point that the Vitorian team made merits, especially in the second half, to at least have won a draw. But he met an immeasurable Alex Remiro, who took out three spectacular hands that allowed Real to add three fundamental points in the fight for Europe, positions that he recovers with this victory. Alavés will have to keep paddling to get out of relegation, hoping that the improvement shown in recent weeks, and especially in this derby at the Reale Arena, will end up turning into victories.

Real Sociedad, without their franchise player, Mikel Oyarzabal, tried to be faithful to their style, that style that seems to have been called into question in recent days, but that Imanol Alguacil does not stop defending. It is costing him to put it into practice this season, and against Alavés it was not going to be different. Although for lack of will that is not. The babazorros came out more wise and at the beginning they played more to what Mendilibar wanted than what Imanol intended. The high and oppressive pressure from Alavés meant that the match began on Real’s pitch, which was unable to shake off that pressure and could not find clear passing lanes. But the Vitorians did not make this good start to the game effective and little by little they deflated to allow a Real team to get into the game, which was gaining better sensations with the ball to reach Pacheco’s area with relative danger with a shot by Isak with a heel and another of Merino very loose at the hands of Pacheco. From then on, the match was played more to what Real wanted, but there were hardly any clear scoring chances. The clash logically came to the break without goals, because none deserved it, despite the effort and intensity put on the pitch by all the protagonists.

After the break, the script hardly changed. Imanol left Illarramendi in the locker room to avoid frights with the yellow he had seen, and put Martín Zubimendi on the table, who ultimately proved decisive by scoring the winning goal. Alavés wanted to take another step forward by going out to look for Real, and when it seemed that Mendilibar’s plan was working out better, it was the San Sebastian who changed the rhythm and began to prowl Pacheco’s goal with real danger. First it was Portu who shot from the right, then it was Sorloth who wasted a very clear chance. In both they ran into the good work of the Alavés goalkeeper. But the pitcher goes to the fountain so much that in the end it breaks. The Vitorians were not successful in the lateral centers of the Real, and it was Zubimendi who took advantage of it by finishing off a center from the right between a tangle of heads. The man from San Sebastian was the smartest in the class, sticking his head into the dispute over the ball with Laguardia.

The goal seemed to change the tone of the match, that Alavés would be forced to go out for a draw and Real could take advantage of it on the counterattack. But what happened is that the people of San Sebastian took an alarming step back, and the babazorros went all out for the tie. Mendilibar introduced Loum and Jason, and they forced Álex Remiro to become the savior of a Real team that seemed to be scared by his goal and the possibility of winning a derby that could catapult him back to the European zone. Rioja, who also played a great game, was close to scoring, Vallejo ran into the saving mitts of the Navarrese goalkeeper, then it was Loum after several consecutive shots, and finally Joselu those who forced the Cascante goalkeeper to take out three hands providential to prevent a tie for an Alavés who was making more than enough merits to get at least one point. La Real tried to respond to that avalanche with the counterattack, and was able to put the finishing touch to the game with Alexander Sorloth, but the Norwegian must be angry with the goal; because he had a very clear heads-up with everything in his favor that sent the doll when Pacheco seemed to win. That unsuccessful occasion led to uncertainty until the end, but the royalist defense also showed its solvency to disrupt the long shipments at the end of Alavés.