Real Sociedad Survive Ten-Man Scare to Claim Dramatic La Liga Victory at Elche

La Liga · Regular Season – 4

Elche

2 – 3
FULL-TIME

Real Sociedad

Monday 7 September 2026 · 21:30 · , Elche

Real Sociedad secured a hard-fought 3-2 victory away at Elche in La Liga, a result that will be remembered less for its clinical execution and more for the extraordinary drama that engulfed it. The visitors raced into a commanding two-goal lead before the match turned on its head in the second half, with a red card, a VAR cancellation, and a furious Elche comeback all threatening to undo Real Sociedad’s early dominance. It was only a last-gasp goal that finally settled the contest and confirmed three points for the Basque side.

How the Game Unfolded

Real Sociedad wasted no time in making their intentions clear. Despite Jon Aramburu picking up a yellow card in just the ninth minute for a foul, the visitors struck almost immediately afterwards. Job Ochieng opened the scoring in the 11th minute, assisted by Carlos Soler, giving Real Sociedad the early initiative. The momentum continued firmly in the visitors’ favour, and on 31 minutes Yangel Herrera doubled the lead, with Ochieng turning provider to complete his involvement in both goals. Elche’s only notable disciplinary moment of the first half came when Tete Morente was booked for a foul on 43 minutes, and the home side went into the break with plenty of work to do.

Elche’s response in the second half was energetic. Manager changes were made at the break, with both Ezequiel Ponce and Facundo Buonanotte introduced on 55 minutes in an attempt to alter the game’s dynamic. However, the pivotal passage of play arrived between the 63rd and 67th minutes. First, a Real Sociedad goal from Luka Sučić was disallowed following a VAR review. Then, just one minute later, Real Sociedad’s Jon Martin was shown a red card for handball, reducing the visitors to ten men. Elche seized on the advantage immediately: Thomas Lemar pulled one back in the 67th minute, assisted by Víctor Chust, to make it 2-1.

The momentum had completely shifted. Seven minutes later, Fernando Niño Rodríguez levelled matters at 2-2, with Tete Morente providing the assist, and suddenly Elche — buoyed by their numerical advantage — appeared to be the team more likely to win the match. Both sides continued to make substitutions in an effort to influence the closing stages, and Elche grew increasingly agitated, with Germán Valera booked for dissent in the 68th minute. Yet it was Real Sociedad who delivered the decisive blow. Deep into stoppage time, in the 90th minute, Luka Sučić — who had seen his earlier effort wiped out by VAR — made amends in the most emphatic fashion, finishing from a Job Ochieng assist to restore Real Sociedad’s lead and seal the victory. A late yellow card for Thomas Lemar in the seventh minute of stoppage time was Elche’s final act of frustration.

The Numbers

The statistics reflect a game in which Elche dominated possession and created the greater volume of chances, yet were ultimately undone by Real Sociedad’s clinical edge. Elche controlled 58% of the ball to Real Sociedad’s 42%, completing 439 of 494 passes compared to the visitors’ 300 from 361 attempts. In terms of attacking output, Elche produced 20 total shots — including 15 inside the box and 10 on target — while Real Sociedad managed 13 total shots, with six on goal and eight inside the box. Elche’s goalkeeper, however, was kept far busier: Real Sociedad’s shot-stopper made only three saves, while Elche’s ‘keeper was called upon eight times, underlining just how efficiently the visitors converted their opportunities. Elche earned six corner kicks to Real Sociedad’s seven. The disciplinary record told its own story: Elche accumulated four yellow cards and no red, while Real Sociedad ended the match with one yellow and the decisive red card shown to Jon Martin.

Conclusion

This was a match that defied the statistics. Elche were the dominant side for large portions of the contest and fully deserved their equaliser, but Real Sociedad’s composure under pressure — and Luka Sučić’s dramatic late strike — ultimately proved decisive. For Elche, it was a performance that will offer encouragement in certain respects, but the manner of the defeat will sting. Real Sociedad, meanwhile, demonstrated the resilience of a side capable of winning ugly when it matters most.

» Read our pre-match preview

» See what we predicted

Written by Elison

Writes match previews, predictions, and post-match analysis for MatchdayValue, covering the top five European leagues and Europe's continental competitions.