Fair distribution of points in the Gipuzkoan derby

Fair distribution of points in the Gipuzkoan Anoeta derby between Real and Eibar. A part for each, a goal for each one, almost similar possession and sometimes they were even on par. Like good Gipuzkoan brothers, the txuri-urdin and the gunsmiths behaved. The point serves Real, despite adding three consecutive draws, to return to being the leader of the First Division, tied with Atlético, but with better goal difference, although they have played two more games. The people of Donostia add a whopping 10 days in a row without losing, and they have only fallen in a league match. And Eibar continues with its great dynamics abroad, where it has added 11 of the 15 points it has and that they leave closer to European positions than to decline. The Mendilibar team has reacted. The San Sebastian started better, they went ahead on the scoreboard with a goal from Barrenetxea, they wasted their chance to kill the derby and gave life to Eibar, which He did not waste the 'gift' and after the break he tied and it was not far from having achieved the comeback.

La Real started much better than Eibar. With many changes in the starting eleven To refresh the San Sebastian team after the battle of Naples, Imanol went out to make the field longer than usual, avoiding from Eda the high pressure and intensity that Mendilibar usually poses. The plan did not go wrong because what the Real achieved was pressure higher on Eibar hindering his game in rival field and stealing in dangerous positions that led to much uncertainty about the goal of Dmitrovic.

First it was Alexander Isak who, incomprehensibly, did not hit the target to finish off a good serve from Merquelanz. But a little later Barrenetxea did not forgive when shooting Dmitrovic at the exit of a corner. Barrenetxea himself finished off another rebound from a corner kick from the front, but this time the Serbian goalkeeper from Eibar pulled out a spectacular hand. And to close the carousel of occasions for Real in the first half, Isak sent the ball over the crossbar in a one-on-one with Dmitrovic, whom he tried to overcome with a Vaseline. In those first 45 minutes, Eibar did not even appear through Remiro's goal. Poor game of the gunsmiths against a Real that could have left the Gipuzkoan derby sentence before the break.

He didn't, and at halftime Mendilibar read the card to his players, which came out as motorcycles in the second part. Eibar radically changed its image, took a step forward and completely ate a Real who gave the feeling that the game was too long, arriving fused at the end of the match. Sergi Enrich materialized the gunsmith improvement and his superiority in the second half, when finishing a Serbian of Takashi Inui after a spectacular play of Bryan Gil. The Sevillian drove the defense of the Real crazy in the second half and directed all the dangerous actions of Eibar. He played a great game on the Anoeta grass and continued to amaze everyone. Enrich scored a goal again a year later, and was close to becoming the hero of Eibar by marching 1-2 of the comeback. But his shot that second time was slightly off. The entry of the Balearic forward changed the face of Eibar and his work had a just reward. And while, the Real, overcome by the circumstances, tried to rebuild with the departure of David Silva, who at the first change generated the great chance of the San Sebastian in the second half, with a counter that Portu crashed on the crossbar. The San Sebastian, despite dissolving like a sugar after the break, had victory close, with a shot from Zubeldia after a lateral foul. He was offside by millimeters and the goal did not go up to the scoreboard. It was only fair. A time for each team. One goal for each. Distribution of points as good Gipuzkoan brothers in the Anoeta derby.

Sheriff regretted “leaving alive” to Eibar

Real Sociedad coach, Imanol Alguacil, regretted that his team “left alive” Eibar in the first half. He assured that in the first 45 minutes his team was “superior” and was aware of the danger of “forgiving” against an Eibar that “has made its pressure very high, with a more aggressive point and the game is gone”.

“We are the highest scoring team in LaLiga, chances have been made but we only scored one goal. Hopefully we continue with the same number of goals scored and points scored, although what we're doing is not easy,” summed up a Gipuzkoan coach.

“I do not care that they do not talk about us and that they continue like this because while we are up there there is no problem and I hope that in a few months we will continue to be where we are,” he said.

Mendilibar: “Enrich has been key”

For his part, Eibar coach José Luis Mendilibar did not hide his satisfaction at scoring at the home of leader Real Sociedad. “I don't ask Sergi for goals but I do ask him to work because if he does, he will have more shotgun options. If he scores, it's good for him and it's good for his head, because it suits him but I'll keep asking him for the work he has done today. because it has been a key to what has happened from the midfield upwards, “emphasized the Basque coach.

He denied that he “read the primer” to his squad in the locker room to explain the change that occurred in the second half in Eibar's performance and framed that improvement in which his players “began to have confidence in the teammate next to them” .

He believes that the game of Real also allowed Eibar to do things better since with other more closed rivals “it is not possible”, today he assumed the “risk of getting three” because this was minimized when “the players saw that the things were coming out and there his doubts ended. “