Real Sociedad 2-1 Espanyol: Mendez strikes late as La Real edge visitors in LaLiga

Real Sociedad ended a streak of three consecutive LaLiga defeats in impressive fashion, defeating Espanyol 2-1 at the Reale Arena. This victory marks La Real's achievement of winning nine out of the ten league matches in which they have scored first this season.

The home side's efforts to break free from a challenging period began optimally, as they found the net just 40 seconds into the match. A turnover on the left flank allowed Luka Sucic to deliver a precise ball across the area to Sheraldo Becker, who celebrated his 30th birthday with a powerful shot into the bottom-left corner of Joan Garcia’s goal.

Throughout the first half, the hosts demonstrated a significant advantage over their opponents, with Sucic nearly becoming a goalscorer in the 18th minute, only to have his low shot denied by the left post.

In contrast, Espanyol struggled to make an impact, registering no shots, holding only 27% possession, and committing seven fouls by half-time. This performance strongly indicated that they would need a remarkable turnaround to avoid a sixth consecutive away defeat in this fixture.

The second half saw Espanyol find a way back into the match just seven minutes in, albeit in a rather dramatic fashion. A long ball from Garcia reached Leandro Cabrera, who set up Javi Puado for a scoring opportunity.

Nayef Aguerd was tasked with challenging him in a sprint but ultimately fouled Puado in the box with a high leg. The Espanyol player fell dramatically, winning a penalty, which he converted by sending Alex Remiro the wrong way with a confident shot into the same corner Becker had previously targeted.

Despite this setback, Sociedad maintained their superiority, although their attempts in the final third were repeatedly thwarted by a resolute Espanyol defense. They could have increased their tally of five counter-attacking league goals for the season, but a misplaced pass led to a breakaway that ended with a miskick from Roberto Fernandez.

Sociedad had an opportunity to reflect on their performance within a few minutes, as Alvaro Aguado made a crucial block to prevent Ander Barrenetxea from capitalizing on a chance inside the penalty area. Following Jon Aramburu's shot that sailed over the goal from near the penalty spot, the Sociedad supporters might have braced themselves for yet another uneventful match.

However, a dramatic turn of events unfolded late in the game when Aguerd redeemed himself for a previous mistake by sprinting down the left side and delivering a pass to substitute Brais Mendez. Mendez skillfully lobbed the ball over Garcia at the near post just four minutes after his introduction.

This decisive goal secured the victory for Sociedad, bringing them within four points of the top six. Meanwhile, Espanyol remains just above the relegation zone for the time being, but with their search for a first away league win of the season still ongoing (D2, L9), they have ample reason to be concerned about their position.

SportsLigue