Real Sociedad claim narrow victory at San Mames
Real Sociedad secured a narrow yet precious away victory against their bitter rivals Athletic Bilbao at the San Mamés on Wednesday night. La Real will now take their minor advantage back to the Anoeta for their second-leg meeting in three weeks. Athletic Bilbao will be eager to turn around the deficit, although the margin will feel much larger given the fact that it is away from home. Stay tuned as we explore the highlights that occurred in this match throughout our discussion.
Euskadi derby history context
This match was more than two sides of eleven facing off against each other but rather a clash of two pillars of Basque football going against each other. To the Basque region, it is more than just a simple fixture but rather a fixture that divides the Basque country. With the peak of this derby being in the 1980s, given both sides’ dominance in La Liga, this fixture has proven to be one of the biggest rivalries in all of Spain. With each team eager to claim a victory over another, this is a clash played with passion and intensity, with the victor getting the bragging rights over the other city.
Turrientes the difference for La Real
Benat Turrientes’ strike after 62 minutes proved to be the difference between the two sides, and the odds are now in Real Sociedad’s favor to reach the final given that the second leg is in Anoeta. Athletic Club will now look to overturn the deficit in hopes of reaching their second Copa del Rey final in three years. Also, ever since Pellegrino Matarazzo’s appointment, La Real are unbeaten in 11 games, showcasing a major turnaround in their season. Athletic Bilbao are not in the best form domestically, which has seen them win only four games out of their last eleven matches.
