Real Madrid 4-1 Real Sociedad
Real Madrid beat Real Sociedad 4-1 in the opening round of La Liga on Wednesday evening. The visitors took an unexpected lead through Luka Sučić just before half-time, but Kylian Mbappé's three goals turned the match. Real Madrid sit second in the table with nine points from three games, while Sociedad drop to thirteenth with three points.
Mbappé opened the scoring in the fortieth minute, then found his second on the hour mark after Sociedad had equalised. Vinicius Junior added a fourth in the sixty-eighth minute, and Mbappé completed his hat-trick in the eightieth. Sučić's forty-fourth minute strike had given Sociedad a brief advantage, but Real Madrid's response was immediate.
By then the match had taken on a different character. Benoit Badiashile's offside goal was cancelled in the ninetieth minute, followed by another disallowed effort from Brahim Díaz a minute later. Real Madrid had created five big chances but could only convert four, while Sociedad managed none.
The statistics tell part of the story. Real Madrid held 51 per cent possession and registered eleven shots on target compared to three for Sociedad. Their expected goals total of 3.14 reflects the dominance, though the margin of victory was wider than the chances suggests. Sociedad made more crosses but found less success in the final third.
And here's the thing about this result — it was not the statement Real Madrid might have hoped for. Three wins from three games puts them in contention, but the opening round rarely sets the tone for a season. Sociedad's recent form offers no comfort, with losses to Betis, Chelsea, and Köln in their last three matches.
To be fair, Real Madrid's performance was not flawless. Two disallowed goals and a run of 14 successful dribbles suggest they had to work for their result. The relationship between dominance and efficiency remains the question for this side as the season develops.
