Real Sociedad and Alaves produced a chaotic 3-3 draw at Reale Arena in La Liga’s Regular Season - 31, a match where structure and control repeatedly gave way to volatility. Real Sociedad, in a 4-2-3-1 under Pellegrino Matarazzo, held more of the ball and appeared to have steered the game their way after the hour. Quique Sanchez Flores’ Alaves, in a 5-3-2, survived long spells without possession, leaned on transitions and set-piece pressure, and were rewarded with a stoppage-time equaliser. The halftime scoreline of 2-2 reflected a half defined less by crafted attacks than by errors and own goals, and the full-time 3-3 felt like a fair outcome for two sides whose attacking efficiency never matched the raw drama.
The scoring opened in the 3rd minute with a defensive calamity for Real Sociedad: Duje Ćaleta-Car, under pressure, turned the ball into his own net to give Alaves a 0-1 lead. Real Sociedad responded through structure rather than chaos. In the 14th minute, Luka Sučić finished a move assisted by Ander Barrenetxea, levelling at 1-1 and validating the 4-2-3-1’s capacity to find the half-spaces. Yet the hosts’ defensive line remained fragile. In the 24th minute, Ibrahim Diabaté restored Alaves’ advantage with a normal goal, capitalising on space against a back four that struggled to control depth.
First Half
The first half’s theme of defensive instability continued at the other end. In the 27th minute, Antonio Sivera conceded an own goal, bringing Real Sociedad back to 2-2 without needing to break down the Alaves block. That scoreline held to halftime: 2-2 at 45', with no cards shown in the opening period and the contest tactically open, if structurally flawed.
Matarazzo moved early after the interval. At 46', Gonçalo Guedes (IN) came on for Ander Barrenetxea (OUT), adding a more direct, vertical threat on the flank. The next shift came on 54', when Takefusa Kubo (IN) replaced Brais Méndez (OUT), turning the No.10 space into a more dynamic, dribble-heavy zone. The match’s disciplinary tone changed first: at 59', Abderrahman Rebbach received a yellow card for a foul, the first of the game.
On 60', Alaves adjusted their front line as Lucas Boyé (IN) came on for Ibrahim Diabaté (OUT), but Real Sociedad immediately seized momentum. In the same minute, Orri Steinn Óskarsson scored a normal goal, assisted by Kubo, to make it 3-2. Kubo’s entry had an instant tactical payoff: his reception between lines and timing of the final pass gave Óskarsson a higher-quality chance than most of Real Sociedad’s previous efforts.
The disciplinary pattern escalated. Kubo himself was booked for a foul in the 64th minute, signalling the rising intensity in duels. At 66', Ángel Pérez was shown a yellow card for argument, reflecting Alaves’ growing frustration. Sanchez Flores reshaped his midfield at the same time: Jon Guridi (OUT) was replaced by Carles Aleñá (IN), and Pablo Ibáñez (OUT) made way for Ander Guevara (IN), freshening the central unit to cope with Real Sociedad’s possession.
Matarazzo continued to rotate his attack. In the 72nd minute, Pablo Marín (IN) came on for Óskarsson (OUT), with Real Sociedad seeking more control than pure depth running. At 86', he made a defensive and structural double change: Luken Beitia (IN) replaced Sučić (OUT), and Aihen Muñoz (IN) came on for Aritz Elustondo (OUT), effectively reinforcing the back line and wide defensive coverage to protect the 3-2 lead. Alaves, for their part, swapped Denis Suárez (IN) for Ángel Pérez (OUT) in the 86th minute, adding a technically stronger presence to connect midfield and attack.
Stoppage Time
Stoppage time became a disciplinary and tactical crisis for Real Sociedad. Sergio Gómez’s late challenge drew the referee’s attention; a VAR review at 90+2' led to a card upgrade, and by 90+3' Sergio Gómez was shown a red card for a foul. Reduced to ten men, Real Sociedad’s previously stable 4-2-3-1 morphed into an improvised, deeper block. Emotional tension spiked further when Gonçalo Guedes was booked for argument at 90+9', underlining the psychological shift from control to survival. Alaves mirrored the emotional edge: Denis Suárez received a yellow card for argument at 90+10', but by then the tactical balance had already tilted.
The final twist came in regulation time. Despite the red arriving in added minutes, the late structural fragility and Alaves’ persistence were encapsulated by Lucas Boyé’s normal goal at 90', assisted by Denis Suárez, making it 3-3. Boyé’s presence, introduced on 60', gave Alaves a more robust reference point to attack second balls and crosses, which ultimately broke Real Sociedad’s undermanned back line.
Statistical Overview
From a statistical perspective, Real Sociedad’s 54% possession and 506 total passes (83% accuracy) confirmed their role as the territorial protagonists. Their 12 total shots matched Alaves’ volume, but with 4 shots on goal and 4 blocked, they frequently met the Alaves block rather than exposing it. An xG of 0.94 against three goals underscores how much the scoreline was inflated by own goals and clinical finishing rather than sustained chance creation. Crucially, Real Sociedad recorded 0 goalkeeper saves and a goals-prevented value of 0, indicating that Álex Remiro was largely bypassed by the nature of the chances and errors rather than tested repeatedly.
Alaves, with 46% possession and 427 passes at 80% accuracy, accepted a more reactive role. Their 12 shots included only 2 on target but 8 inside the box, reflecting a plan focused on arriving in dangerous zones through fewer, more direct attacks. Their xG of 1.13 aligned more closely with their three-goal output, especially once Boyé and Denis Suárez were introduced. Defensively, Sivera made 2 saves and also suffered the misfortune of an own goal, encapsulating a performance where the defensive unit bent often but, aided by Real Sociedad’s inefficiency and late numerical advantage, did not fully break.
Disciplinarily, Real Sociedad finished with 2 yellow cards (Kubo for a foul, Guedes for argument) and 1 red card (Sergio Gómez, upgraded via VAR for a foul). Alaves accumulated 3 yellow cards (Rebbach for a foul, Ángel Pérez and Denis Suárez both for argument). The contrast between Real Sociedad’s overall form on the ball and their defensive index — compromised by an early own goal, a late dismissal, and an inability to manage transitions — explains why a match they seemed to have under control ultimately ended level.
