Real Sociedad 2-3 Villarreal: Post-match review, Stats, Key moments

Dive into Bwin’s post-match review of Real Sociedad 2-3 Villarreal in the La Liga on Sunday, 30 November 2025, with stats, key moments and our take on the match.

Villarreal took an early lead in the 31st minute when A. Perez scored, assisted by A. Pedraza, giving the visitors a foothold despite Real Sociedad’s possession dominance. The first half saw several yellow cards, with P. Gueye booked for Villarreal in the 20th and A. Perez in added time, while Real Sociedad’s U. Sadiq received a yellow in the 42nd. After the break, A. Moleiro extended Villarreal’s advantage to 2-0 in the 57th minute, assisted by A. Perez, but Real Sociedad responded quickly with C. Soler’s goal in the 60th, assisted by T. Kubo, pulling them back into contention.

The match intensified with multiple substitutions and yellow cards, including J. Martin and A. Barrenetxea for Real Sociedad around the 70th minute, and several for Villarreal such as A. Pedraza in the 67th and others later on. Real Sociedad equalised late through A. Barrenetxea’s unassisted strike in the 87th minute, setting up a tense finish. However, A. Moleiro’s dramatic unassisted goal in the 90+5th minute secured a 3-2 victory for Villarreal, highlighting their efficiency in front of goal despite fewer chances.

Real Sociedad held 60% possession and earned eight corners compared to Villarreal’s two, suggesting they controlled much of the territory, yet Villarreal’s 57 successful dribbles far outpaced Sociedad’s 32, allowing the visitors to break effectively and create decisive moments. The card count was high, with Real Sociedad receiving three yellows and Villarreal seven, which disrupted the flow but didn’t lead to any reds, while both teams used all five substitutions—Real Sociedad starting theirs at 56’ with A. Barrenetxea replacing U. Sadiq, followed by double changes at 77’ where A. Zakharyan came on for C. Soler and G. Carrera for G. Guedes, then later swaps like M. Goti Lopez for B. Mendez at 84’ and B. Turrientes for T. Kubo at 85’. Villarreal’s substitutions began at 68’ with G. Mikautadze replacing G. Moreno and D. Parejo for P. Gueye, continuing with S. Cardona for A. Pedraza at 78’, I. Akhomach for T. Buchanan at 79’, and T. Oluwaseyi for A. Perez at 86’, which helped maintain their energy for the late winner; Villarreal also recorded two assists to Sociedad’s one, underscoring their sharper attacking connections despite no penalties or injury-time goals beyond the final strike.

These stats reflect how Villarreal maximised limited possession for three goals, while Real Sociedad’s dominance in key areas like corners didn’t translate to enough clinical finishing, with the high dribble count for Villarreal proving pivotal in transitioning to attacks that led to their goals.

The game’s turning points centred on Villarreal’s efficient scoring, starting with A. Perez’s 31st-minute goal assisted by A. Pedraza, which set the tone against the run of play, followed by A. Moleiro’s brace—first in the 57th assisted by A. Perez to make it 2-0, and crucially the unassisted winner in the 90+5th that snatched victory. Real Sociedad fought back with C. Soler’s 60th-minute strike assisted by T. Kubo shortly after their first substitution where A. Barrenetxea replaced U. Sadiq at 56’, and A. Barrenetxea’s own unassisted equaliser in the 87th, but the accumulation of yellow cards, including multiple for both sides like A. Pedraza’s in the 67th for Villarreal and A. Barrenetxea’s in the 70th for Sociedad, added tension without escalating to dismissals.

Villarreal’s double substitution at 68’, bringing on G. Mikautadze for G. Moreno and D. Parejo for P. Gueye, helped stabilise midfield amid the card flurry, while Real Sociedad’s late changes, such as B. Turrientes replacing T. Kubo at 85’, couldn’t prevent the final twist.

Real Sociedad lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation, with T. Kubo providing creative spark in the attacking midfield role, linking effectively with forwards like C. Soler, whose partnership in the middle third helped generate chances despite the defeat.

Villarreal deployed a 4-4-2 setup, featuring A. Moleiro and A. Perez as a potent forward pairing that capitalised on quick transitions, supported by wide players like A. Pedraza who contributed assists and defensive work.

A. Moleiro earned Man of the Match honours for Villarreal with his brace, including the dramatic 90+5th-minute winner, demonstrating clinical finishing and composure under pressure to turn the game in his team’s favour.

Recent La Liga matches:

• Loss: 2-3 vs Villarreal (H)
• Win: 3-1 vs Osasuna (A)
• Draw: 1-1 vs Elche (A)
• Win: 3-2 vs Athletic Club (H)
• Win: 2-1 vs Sevilla (H)

Recent La Liga matches:

• Win: 3-2 vs Real Sociedad (A)
• Win: 2-1 vs Mallorca (H)
• Win: 2-0 vs Espanyol (A)
• Win: 4-0 vs Rayo Vallecano (H)
• Win: 2-0 vs Valencia (A)

Real Sociedad will look to bounce back from this narrow home defeat, which exposed vulnerabilities in converting possession into goals, with their next fixture offering a chance to regain momentum in the league standings.

Villarreal can build on this hard-fought away win, boosted by their dribbling prowess and late resilience, as they prepare for their upcoming match to maintain positive form.

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