Celta left Anoeta empty-handed after a true battle of titans in the San Sebastián downpour. It was their first defeat of 2026 in a highly competitive match that was far more balanced than the final scoreline suggests.
The first half kicked off, and Bryan Zaragoza gave a warning just 30 seconds in with a shot that went wide. The Malaga-born striker lamented his missed opportunity as Claudio Giráldez’s side took control of the game against a Real Sociedad team on the rise who made the most of their chances. Mikel Oyarzabal, in what was the home side’s first real attack, received the ball on the edge of the box and curled a shot into the far corner, beating Radu.
Far from being discouraged, Celta stuck to their game plan. They took control of the ball, showed attacking intent down the wings, and looked to create depth with constant movement. The visitors held the initiative for much of the first half, although Real Sociedad, more aggressive after the goal, pressed high for several minutes. Before halftime, the game shifted again when a hard tackle on Manu Fernández resulted in Caleta-Car’s expulsion, leaving Real Sociedad with ten men for the entire second half.
This situation favored Claudio Giráldez’s side, who, after adjusting their system, began to establish themselves in the opposition’s half. Patiently, and by stretching the field, they pushed back a deep-lying Real Sociedad, eventually finding the equalizer through Borja Iglesias, who controlled a well-placed pass from Sergio Carreira in the box. However, just as Celta were playing their best, the home side struck again. In an isolated attack, Oyarzabal seemed to want to replicate his first goal, scoring once more from the edge of the area.
The 2-1 scoreline didn’t dampen Celta’s spirits, and they continued to search for the equalizer until the final whistle, creating numerous chances in the decisive stages of the match, only to be thwarted by an inspired Remiro. In stoppage time, with the team pushing forward, a penalty allowed Brais Méndez to close the scoring from the spot, confirming a result that was excessive for the fight lived on the field.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS:
3 – Real Sociedad: Remiro; Aranburu, Caleta-Car, Jon Martín, Aihen; Turrientes (Zubeldia, min. 46), Gorrotxategi, Sucic (Brais Méndez, min. 80); Guedes (Marín, min 69), Barrenetxea (Odriozola, min. 46) and Oyarzabal (Òskarsson, min. 85).
1 – Celta: Andrei Radu; Marcos Alonso, Carl Starfelt, Manu Fernández (Óscar Mingueza, min. 46); Hugo Álvarez, Sergio Carreira (Miguel Román, min. 76), Hugo Sotelo (Williot Swedberg min. 76), Ilaix Moriba (Iago Aspas, min. 56); Bryan Zaragoza, Pablo Durán (Borja Iglesias, min. 56) and Jones El-Abdellaoui.
Goals: 1-0, min. 16: Oyarzabal. 1-1, min. 72: Borja Iglesias. 2-1, min. 74: Oyarzabal. 3-1, min. 90+4: Brais Méndez, de penalti.
Referee: Alberola Rojas (Castilla-La Mancha Committee). For Celta, Bryan Zaragoza and manager Claudio Giráldez were shown yellow cards. For Real Sociedad, Caleta-Car was sent off with a straight red card (45th minute), and Sucic and the home team’s manager, Pellegrino Matarazzo, received yellow cards.
Incidents: 29,678 at the Anoeta Stadium for this LaLiga EA Sports matchday 21 fixture. Before kickoff, a minute’s silence was observed in memory of all the victims of the recent train accidents.
