Real Sociedad vs Alaves: Thrilling 3-3 Draw in La Liga

A breathless afternoon at Reale Arena ended with frustration for Real Sociedad and relief for Alaves, as a 3-3 draw in this La Liga regular season clash left both the European push and survival fight delicately poised.

Alaves struck first in chaotic fashion after just 3 minutes. From an early attack, Duje Caleta-Car diverted the ball into his own net, handing the visitors a 1-0 lead before they had managed a shot on target. It set the tone for a first half in which both defences looked vulnerable and the game swung wildly.

Real Sociedad responded with composure and control. On 14 minutes, their patient possession finally told. Ander Barrenetxea drove at the right side of the Alaves back line and slipped a clever pass inside for Luka Sucic, who arrived from the second line and finished clinically to level at 1-1. The move encapsulated the hosts’ 4-2-3-1 structure: Carlos Soler and Beñat Turrientes anchoring, with Sucic breaking beyond the forwards.

Yet Alaves, set up in a compact 5-3-2, remained dangerous in transition. On 24 minutes, Ibrahim Diabaté restored their advantage with a sharp finish, capitalising on space left in behind as Real Sociedad pushed their full backs high. At 2-1 down, the home crowd’s early optimism wavered.

The first half’s fourth goal arrived three minutes later, and again it was an own goal, this time at the other end. In the 27th minute, a Real Sociedad attack ended with a wicked ball flashing across the six-yard box, and Antonio Sivera could only turn it into his own net under pressure. The goalkeeper’s misfortune brought the score to 2-2, a fair reflection of an open, error-strewn half.

At the break, Real Sociedad coach Pellegrino Matarazzo acted decisively. At 46 minutes, Gonçalo Guedes replaced Barrenetxea, adding more direct running from the left. Eight minutes later, at 54, Takefusa Kubo came on for Brais Méndez, sharpening the right flank and tilting the hosts even more towards attack.

The game’s disciplinary tone shifted just before the hour. At 59 minutes, Abderrahman Rebbach received a yellow card, a sign of Alaves’ growing struggle to contain the pressure. A minute later, Quique Sanchez Flores made his first change, with Lucas Boyé replacing Diabaté at 60 minutes to freshen the front line.

Seconds after that substitution, Real Sociedad finally translated their dominance into a lead. In the 60th minute, Kubo justified his introduction immediately, threading a precise pass into Orri Steinn Óskarsson. The young forward finished coolly to make it 3-2, a goal built on quick combination play and the hosts’ superior technical quality between the lines.

The intensity remained high. Kubo was booked for tripping in the 64th minute, a symptom of Real Sociedad’s aggressive counter-press to prevent Alaves from breaking. Two minutes later, Ángel Pérez went into the book for unsportsmanlike conduct, underlining the visitors’ increasing desperation.

Alaves then reshaped their midfield at 66 minutes with a double change: Carles Aleñá replaced Jon Guridi, and Ander Guevara came on for Pablo Ibáñez. The visitors sought more control in possession and fresher legs to contest the centre.

Real Sociedad responded by managing minutes in attack. At 72 minutes, Óskarsson, already on the scoresheet, was replaced by Pablo Marín, a move aimed at adding more ball retention in advanced areas as the hosts tried to protect their narrow lead.

The closing stages descended into tension and stoppages. At 86 minutes, Denis Suárez replaced Ángel Pérez for Alaves, while Real Sociedad made a defensive reshuffle: Luken Beitia came on for Sucic and Aihen Muñoz replaced Aritz Elustondo, effectively reinforcing the back line to see out the result.

Deep into added time, emotions spilled over. In the 90+2 minute, Matarazzo himself was booked on the touchline. One minute later, in the 90+3, Sergio Gómez received a red card for a serious foul, leaving Real Sociedad to defend their lead with ten men. That dismissal proved pivotal.

Alaves, now with a numerical advantage, pushed relentlessly. In the 90+7 minute, they found their equaliser. Denis Suárez, on from the bench, provided the assist with a composed pass into Lucas Boyé, who finished to make it 3-3 and silence the home support. The drama was not quite over: Guedes was booked for unsportsmanlike conduct in the 90+9 minute, and Suárez himself was cautioned for similar behaviour in the 90+10, as tempers flared at the end of a draining contest.

Statistically, Real Sociedad’s 54 percent possession and 12 shots, including 4 on target and 4 blocked, reflected their territorial control and attacking intent. Their xG of 0.94 underlined that, despite scoring three times, they did not consistently create high-quality chances. Alaves matched their hosts in total shots with 12, but only 2 were on target, aligning with an xG of 1.13 that owed much to the late flurry and penalty-box scrambles. Sivera made 2 saves, exactly matching Real Sociedad’s shots on target, while Álex Remiro was not credited with a single save, a quirk explained by the own goal and the low number of Alaves efforts actually hitting the target.

The draw leaves Real Sociedad on 43 points, now with 52 goals scored and 51 conceded after 32 matches, still in the hunt for European qualification but ruing a missed opportunity to strengthen their position. Alaves move to 34 points, with their goals for rising to 38 and goals against to 49 from 32 games, a valuable point in their survival fight that could prove crucial come the end of the season.