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Real Madrid secured a 2-1 win over Real Sociedad in La Liga on Sunday, September 17.
Los Blancos entered this game on the back of a perfect start to their league campaign, winning all four games. Their last outing was a 2-1 win over Getafe as they maintained their two-point cushion over arch-rivals Barcelona. Carlo Ancelotti turned to his strongest XI for this game to maintain their start.
La Real, on the other hand, endured a slow start to this season, winning one and drawing three of their games so far. Star winger Takefusa Kubo's performances have been a shining light as he leads from the front. Their last outing was a thrilling 5-3 win over Granada as they looked to build on that win.
Real Sociedad made an electric start to the game as Ander Berrenetxea scored in the fifth minute following a quick ball from the wing. Despite not having the ball as much after taking the lead, the visitors showed discipline and patience as they held their shape looking to frustrate Real Madrid into making mistakes.
Both teams had identical shooting stats in the first half, with four shots on target from 10 attempts apiece. Sociedad 'keeper Alex Remiro did well to keep the hosts at bay for the first half as the visitors led 1-0.
Real Madrid looked to make a quick impact following the break and Federico Valverde handed them the perfect start as he scored a lovely goal in the 46th minute to level the game. The hosts built on their momentum and their fullbacks continued to use the width of the pitch to create chances and facilitate the attacks.
Fran Garcia made a great run down the left flank before crossing the ball towards an unmarked Joselu at the far post. The striker leapt the highest and nodded home to make it 2-1 after 60 minutes.
Both managers made changes towards the end of the game but Real Madrid held on to secure a 2-1 win over Real Sociedad.
On that note, here are the five talking points from the game.
#5. Real Sociedad become the third team to grab an early lead against Los Blancos this season
Real Madrid have made poor starts to three of their games this season, falling behind in each of the games they have conceded a goal.
Their second game of the season saw them ship an early goal against Almeria, before turning it around with a 3-1 win. Their fourth game, too, saw similar incidents unfold, albeit just after the 10-minute mark as Borja Mayoral gave Getafe the lead against Los Blancos. However, they came back and won 2-1.
This game saw Ancelotti's men fall behind in the fifth minute. Given Real Sociedad's quality and their emphatic 5-3 win last time out, it could have turned out much worse for the hosts on another day.
#4. Involving wing-backs changed the dynamic for Real Madrid
The first half saw the hosts trying to pass the ball through the middle and build patient moves to try and break down the visitors' defense. However, they were unable to do so after 10 shots, of which four were on target. This prompted Ancelotti to instruct his fullbacks to make overlapping support runs.
Fran Garcia benefitted the most from this as he bagged two assists and helped his team grab the lead having trailed for the entire first period. He provided two lovely crosses for his team's goals within 15 minutes of one another following the resumption of play.
Garcia's performance earned him a deserved Player of the Match award, his first of this campaign.
#3. Federico Valverde scores a stunning equalizer
The hosts needed a quick response having gone into the half-time break trailing by a single goal. Their Uruguayan midfielder Valverde stepped up and did just that, only a minute after the game restarted after the break.
A quick move saw several passes being played in quick succession before the ball was played to Valverde in the center of the pitch. With the goal in sight, the midfielder struck the ball sweetly as it hit the post before going into the goal to make it 1-1.
#2. Joselu nods home the go-ahead goal
Replacing Karim Benzema was one of the most important items on Real Madrid's to-do list during the summer window and they seem to have done a decent job with it.
Striker Joselu showed great poacher instincts as he positioned himself perfectly at the far post in anticipation of a cross from Garcia. Once the ball arrived, he jumped the highest and glanced his header past Alex Remiro and into the net to make it 2-1 at the hour-mark.
#1. Real Madrid maintain perfect start to the campaign
Having lost out on La Liga to Barcelona by a dozen points last season, Real Madrid mean business this time around as they have made a perfect start to the season.
Despite losing key players to transfers and injuries, the squad have stuck together to grind out results from tough situations. Jude Bellingham's clutch displays have aided their cause but the entire team, including the defenders and midfielders, have performed at a high level to earn these results.
Their next league game is a trip to cross-town rivals Atletico Madrid, which promises to be a real test of their mettle.
