Reale Arena witnessed a chaotic 3-3 draw between Real Sociedad and Alaves, a result that keeps the hosts in the chase for European spots while offering the visitors another valuable point in their survival fight. In a match from the La Liga regular season’s 31st round, the drama extended deep into stoppage time, with late goals and a red card shaping a breathless finale.
The tone was set almost immediately. In the 3rd minute, Alaves took the lead in freakish fashion when Duje Caleta-Car diverted the ball into his own net. The early setback rattled Real Sociedad’s back line, but Pellegrino Matarazzo’s side responded with composure rather than panic.
By the 14th minute, the hosts were level. A flowing move down the left ended with Ander Barrenetxea cutting inside and slipping a pass into Luka Sucic, who arrived on the edge of the area and finished clinically to make it 1-1. The goal settled Real Sociedad, who began to dominate the ball and pin Alaves’ back five deeper.
Yet Alaves, set up in a compact 5-3-2 by Quique Sanchez Flores, remained dangerous in transition. On 24 minutes, Ibrahim Diabate restored the visitors’ lead with a sharp finish, capitalising on space in behind as Real Sociedad’s defensive line was again exposed.
The first half’s pattern of wild swings continued just three minutes later. In the 27th minute, Real Sociedad levelled in bizarre fashion when Antonio Sivera turned the ball into his own net, bringing the score to 2-2. It was a gift for the home side, who had struggled to convert possession into clear chances.
The interval arrived with the game finely poised, and Matarazzo acted immediately. At 46 minutes, Gonçalo Guedes replaced Barrenetxea, adding fresh pace and direct running on the flank. The change was followed by another attacking tweak in the 54th minute, when Takefusa Kubo came on for Brais Mendez, giving Real Sociedad more creativity between the lines.
Tension began to rise around the hour. In the 59th minute, Abderrahman Rebbach was booked for Alaves, a sign of the strain their defenders were under. A minute later, Quique Sanchez Flores made his first attacking change, with Lucas Boye replacing Diabate. Almost simultaneously, Real Sociedad finally turned their pressure into a lead. In the 60th minute, Orri Steinn Oskarsson struck to make it 3-2, finishing a move crafted by Kubo, whose impact off the bench was immediate.
The game’s temperature climbed further. Kubo himself went into the book for tripping in the 64th minute, before Alaves right wing-back Ángel Perez received a yellow card for unsportsmanlike conduct in the 66th. That same minute, Sanchez Flores refreshed his midfield: Carles Alena replaced Jon Guridi, while Ander Guevara came on for Pablo Ibáñez, seeking more control and passing quality in the centre.
Matarazzo turned to his bench again on 72 minutes, withdrawing Oskarsson and introducing Pablo Marin to add legs in midfield and help protect the narrow advantage. The closing stages became increasingly fragmented, with both teams leaning on their depth. In the 86th minute, Denis Suarez replaced Perez for Alaves, while Real Sociedad made a triple defensive reshuffle: Luken Beitia came on for Sucic and Aihen Muñoz replaced Aritz Elustondo, reinforcing the back line and left flank.
Stoppage time descended into chaos. At 90+2, Matarazzo himself was booked on the touchline, reflecting the growing frustration on the home bench. One minute later, in the 90+3 minute, Sergio Gomez was shown a red card for a serious foul, leaving Real Sociedad to defend their lead with ten men.
Alaves sensed opportunity and threw men forward. Their persistence was rewarded in the 90+7 minute, when Boye, the earlier substitute, struck to level the match at 3-3, finishing from a pass by Denis Suarez. The late equaliser stunned the Reale Arena and underlined Alaves’ resilience.
The disciplinary drama was not over. In the 90+9 minute, Guedes was booked for unsportsmanlike conduct, and in the 90+10 minute Denis Suarez received a yellow card of his own, closing a frenetic finale that at times threatened to boil over.
Statistically, the draw felt broadly fair. Real Sociedad had 54 percent possession and produced 12 shots, with four on target and four blocked. Their xG was measured at 0.94, reflecting a performance built more on volume and territory than on a flurry of clear chances. Alaves matched them for total shots with 12, but only hit the target twice, with three efforts blocked, and finished with a slightly higher xG of 1.13. Remarkably, Alex Remiro did not register a single save, while Sivera made two stops at the other end, mirroring the shots on target tally.
Defensively, Real Sociedad’s indiscipline hurt them: 11 fouls, two yellow cards and the crucial red for Gomez contrasted with Alaves’ 18 fouls and three bookings but no dismissals. On the ball, the hosts completed 420 of 506 passes at 83 percent accuracy, marginally outplaying Alaves’ 343 of 427 at 80 percent.
In the table, the point moves Real Sociedad to 43 points from 32 games, with their goals for rising to 52 and goals against to 51, keeping them seventh and firmly in the mix for European qualification. Alaves climb to 34 points from 32 matches, their goals for increasing to 38 and goals against to 49, consolidating 15th place and maintaining a precious cushion in their battle for survival.
