Real Sociedad and Atlético de Madrid played a great power-to-power match at the Reale Arena, although neither could go beyond a draw (1-1).
Julián Álvarez opened the scoring in the first minute of the game, not even with the first minute of play completed. Antoine Griezmann distributed brilliantly with his back and heel to his teammate so that the Argentine finished hard at the long post and beat Álex Remiro.
Real could have hit back from a corner, but a stellar Jan Oblak prevented it with an almost miraculous double save, first from a header from Martín Zubimendi, and then from the subsequent rebound that Nayef Aguerd finished off.
It should be noted that chances were conspicuous by their absence during much of the first half. In fact, it was not until the 33rd minute when a good cross from Sergio Gómez did not find a finisher in Mikel Oyarzabal thanks to an attentive Clemant Lenglet.
On the edge of half-time, Takefusa Kubo surpassed Javi Galán and did not hesitate to shoot first, although Oblak was once again attentive to repel a new Txuri Urdin attack.
The local team came back bossily after half-time, with a very clear game script established: possession for Real, while the colchoneros looked for the finishing touch of the match on the counterattack.
A plan that worked better for Atlético, at least at the start, since the first dangerous chance came through the boots of Griezmann, who crossed a ball that Nahuel Molina finished very forcefully over the crossbar.
Little football in the second half as well, something that clearly benefited Atlético, who saw how little by little they scratched minutes off the clock.
Although it was precisely that poor football from ‘Cholo’ Simeone that allowed Real to stay alive in the final minutes of the match, something that Luka Sucic took advantage of to equalize on the light with a shot from home against which little Oblak could have done, after a mistake by Rodrigo de Paul when the ball was released.
Kubo already had it in injury time, after a formidable counterattack that, after dribbling, he launched over the crossbar from the edge of the area.
Atlético succumbed to the Txuri Urdin dominance in the final minutes, although the impulse to try to score the winning goal faded as the minutes passed and the match ended with a tie that did not convince either team.
Real Sociedad goes into the break as 15th in the League with nine points, while the colchoneros fall out of the fight for the lead (3rd with 17 points).
– Technical sheet:
1 – Royal Society: Remiro; Aramburu, Zubeldia, Aguerd, Javi López (Brais Méndez, m.46); Zubimendi, Sergio Gómez, Sucic; Kubo, Oyarzabal y Becker (Barrenetxea, m.61).
1 – Atlético de Madrid: Oblak; Molina, Lenglet, Giménez, Witsel, Javi Galán (Reinildo, m.83); Barrios, Koke, Gallagher; Griezmann (Riquelme, m.83) and Julián Álvarez (Sorloth, m.73).
Goles: 0-1, m.1: Julián Álvarez; 1-1, m.84: Sucic.
Referee: Isidro Díaz de Mera Escuderos (Castilian-Manchego Committee). He admonished Real Sociedad; and Lenglet (55) and Javi Galán (80) and Diego Simeone (89) for Atlético de Madrid.
Incidents: Match corresponding to the ninth day of LaLiga EA Sports played at the Reale Arena in front of 31,983 spectators.
Match compact:
