The most consistent team in La Liga: Real Sociedad edge out Espanyol at the death

Real Sociedad 1-0 Espanyol

Real Sociedad are nothing if not consistent. Seven times they had won 1-0 in La Liga this season in the most common result in Spain – at the death they made it eight.

The first half followed a clear pattern as both sides showed little disguise in their intentions. La Real pushed high and looked for full-back arriving out wide to overload their opponents. Espanyol did their best to attack the space behind those full-backs whenever they retrieved the ball. Neither was ineffective but both failed to trouble the opposition goalkeeper much.

The second half followed the same pattern, only in more extreme fashion. As the home side pressured higher and did their best to raise the intensity, Espanyol found fewer and fewer escape routes into the opposition half. Alexander Isak played out wide with Alexander Sorloth through the middle, aided by David Silva and some excellent touches from substitute Nais Djouahra.

As the half wore on, it seemed like all four were inching La Real closer to that illusive goal. Sorloth had the ball in the net but was adjudged to have fouled Leandro Cabrera in the build-up.

The highest point of pressure came and went though. It looked as if Espanyol had been successful in their efforts to frustrate and thwart. Yet in the final minutes of stoppage time, Mikel Merino was fouled by Ivan Calero.

Isak stepped up and whipped the resulting penalty home. The Reale Arena bounced and the players piled up. Both satiated in the knowledge they had suffered and worked for their reward, that their patience wasn’t pointless.

La Real move six points clear of Villarreal, while Espanyol stay twelfth but well clear of the relegation zone.

Tags Espanyol La Liga Real Sociedad
La Liga - Club News