San Sebastián – September 13, 2025:
Real Madrid battled past adversity to secure a hard-fought 2-1 win over Real Sociedad at the Reale Arena in the ongoing LaLiga 2025/26 season. Despite going down to 10 men after Dean Huijsen’s early red card, Kylian Mbappe’s brilliance once again made the difference, as Los Blancos stayed firmly in the title race.
First-Half Drama: Mbappe Shines, Huijsen Sees Red
Carlo Ancelotti’s side made their intentions clear from the start, with Arda Guler finding the net inside three minutes, only for VAR to disallow the goal due to an offside. Minutes later, Mbappe opened the scoring with a trademark burst in behind the defense and a clinical finish to put Real Madrid 1-0 up.
The French superstar nearly doubled his tally with a curling shot that struck the post. But the game shifted when Dean Huijsen was sent off on 30 minutes for bringing down Mikel Oyarzabal as the last defender.
Despite being a man down, Real Madrid doubled their lead just before halftime. Mbappe danced past his marker and squared the ball to Arda Guler, who coolly slotted home to make it 2-0.
Sociedad Fight Back with Oyarzabal Penalty
The second half saw Real Sociedad pushing forward. Their persistence paid off when Dani Carvajal conceded a penalty for handball, and captain Mikel Oyarzabal converted from the spot to bring La Real back into the contest.
From there, the match became an end-to-end battle. Sociedad pressed hard for an equalizer, but Thibaut Courtois stood tall, pulling off several decisive saves to secure all three points for Los Blancos.
Key Performers
- Kylian Mbappe (8/10): Scored one, created another, and was a constant threat.
- Arda Guler (8/10): Netted Madrid’s second goal and worked tirelessly.
- Thibaut Courtois (7/10): Commanding presence in goal, saving Madrid late on.
- Dean Huijsen (2/10): His early dismissal put Madrid under pressure.
- Mikel Oyarzabal (7/10): Converted the penalty and led Sociedad’s attack.
Player Ratings – Real Madrid vs Real Sociedad
- Thibaut Courtois: 7/10 – Solid saves to deny Sociedad a second.
- Dani Carvajal: 4/10 – Strong performance ruined by the penalty giveaway.
- Eder Militao: 8/10 – Dominant at the back, back to his best.
- Dean Huijsen: 2/10 – Costly red card.
- Álvaro Carreras: 6/10 – Composed at left-back.
- Aurélien Tchouaméni: 7/10 – Adapted well in defense after Huijsen’s dismissal.
- Dani Ceballos: 6/10 – Struggled to make an impact.
- Arda Guler: 8/10 – Scored, created, and worked hard defensively.
- Brahim Diaz: 4/10 – Ineffective, substituted at halftime.
- Vinícius Jr: 5/10 – Energetic but lacked final product.
- Kylian Mbappe: 8/10 – The match-winner.
Manager’s Take
Head coach Xabi Alonso, returning to San Sebastián, acknowledged the difficulty of the match:
“It wasn’t our most beautiful win, but the players showed character. Mbappe was decisive, and Courtois kept us alive in the final stages.”
Final Score: Real Sociedad 1-2 Real Madrid
- Goals: Mbappe (11’), Guler (44’), Oyarzabal (P 57’)
- Venue: Reale Arena, San Sebastián
- Competition: LaLiga 2025/26
With this result, Real Madrid remain unbeaten and continue their push at the top of the LaLiga table, while Real Sociedad will feel they missed a chance to capitalize against a 10-man Madrid side.
