Kylian Mbappe delivered another decisive performance as Real Madrid battled past Real Sociedad 2-1 in La Liga on Saturday, maintaining their perfect start to the season despite being reduced to 10 men for over an hour. Arda Guler also struck in the first half to give Los Blancos breathing space before Mikel Oyarzabal pulled one back from the penalty spot. Xabi Alonso’s side now sit top of the table with 12 points from four matches. Madrid, who started with Dani Carvajal at right-back while Trent Alexander-Arnold was benched, made a bright opening. Guler had an early effort ruled out for offside, but it was Mbappe who broke through after 12 minutes. Latching onto a loose back-pass, the French forward outpaced two defenders and finished expertly for his fourth league goal this season. Their momentum appeared to slow down when centre-back Dean Huijsen, the summer signing from Bournemouth, was shown a red card for pulling back Oyarzabal as the forward raced towards goal. Yet Mbappe was involved again as Madrid doubled their lead, charging in from the left before laying off for Guler, who finished with ease.
Real Madrid’s Arda Guler in action during the match against Real Sociedad in San Sebastian, Spain (AP Photo/Miguel Oses)
Real Sociedad, still chasing a first win under new coach Sergio Francisco, rallied after the half-time break. They halved the deficit when Carvajal conceded a penalty for handball, Oyarzabal converting from the spot. The Spain international went close twice more but was denied by Thibaut Courtois. With Sociedad pushing forward, Alonso locked things down, swapping Vinicius Junior for Fran Garcia in the final stages. Six minutes of stoppage time tested their resilience, but the visitors held firm to claim all three points.
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Real Madrid remain perfect in La Liga, while Sociedad’s wait for a first victory of the campaign continues.
