In ten lethal minutes, Real Sociedad struck down Villarreal, liquidating it. In those final moments of the first half, Marcelino’s team entered pristine and came out in tatters, like the unfortunate characters in Ibáñez’s comics when a bomb explodes that doesn’t kill anyone, like the goals, three torpedoes that left without a voice in the Cerámica stadium, except for the corner tinted white and blue, the realistic fans were happy for that unexpected outburst, which was for them like the double rocket that celebrates the goals in Anoeta.
![Villarreal](https://as01.epimg.net/img/comunes/fotos/fichas/equipos/large/19.png)
0
Jorgensen, Alfonso Pedraza, Juan Foyth, Jorge Cuenca, Albiol, Álex Baena, Adrià Altimira (Ilias Chakkour, min. 45), Capoue, Parejo (Ramón Terrats, min. 91), Gerard Moreno (Ben Brereton, min. 91) and Morales (Sörloth, min. 73)
3
![R. Society](https://as01.epimg.net/img/comunes/fotos/fichas/equipos/large/16.png)
Remiro, Hamari Traore, Zubeldia (Jon Pacheco, min. 59), Tierney, Elustondo, Merino, Brais (Beñat Turrientes, min. 29), Arsen Zakharyan, Martín Zubimendi, Sadiq (Carlos Fernández, min. 77) and Take Kubo
Goals 0-1 min. 37: Merino. 0-2 min. 40: Martín Zubimendi. 0-3 min. 49: Take Kubo.
Referee Mario Melero López
Yellow cards Capoue (min. 22), Alfonso Pedraza (min. 49) and Martín Zubimendi (min. 59)
The day in which the people of San Sebastián commemorated the 25th anniversary of the murder of their follower Aitor Zabaleta, who they remembered jumping onto the field with t-shirts with that number and that name on the back, ended up going well after achieving their third away victory. Until those disastrous ten minutes of Villarreal, Imanol’s team had been slightly superior to its rival, but the game looked even, despite the very clear opportunity that Mikel Merino missed as soon as it began, in a header from very close range that Jorgensen deflected , after a cross from Brais, who shortly after had to leave injured, with a strong blow to his right arm from a kick from Capoue, which caught him with his hand resting on the grass.
Villarreal responded with an arrival from Morales, who could not get his leg ready for the shot, and who was very uncomfortable throughout the game, subject to the severe surveillance of the San Sebastian centre-backs.
But Real found a way to do damage in set pieces. It was two consecutive corner kicks that opened the gap in Villarreal’s goal. The first, launched by Kubo and finished off by Merino, ahead of the entire yellow defensive line; the second, the yellows still stunned, in a rehearsed play, Kubo’s wrists crossed, with the ball that reached Zakharyan, on the edge of the area. Zubimendi deflected his shot with his left foot to double the difference on the scoreboard. Only three minutes had passed since the first blow. The third came shortly after, but in the other goal, when Remiro first deflected Parejo’s shot that was looking for the goal, and then Gerard Moreno’s, from close range, which was rejected. A goal could have woken up Villarreal from their nightmare, but Marcelino’s men did not have the day, and they confirmed that impression when Albiol lost a ball on the way out from the area, Sadiq, who was passing by, picked it up and gave it to Merino, who, like Guti, as Take Kubo later pointed out, put the ball to the Japanese to put the final numbers on the scoreboard and leave Villarreal stunned.
With 0-3 and Marcelino flabbergasted on the bench, the first half ended and so did the game, because, although Villarreal pushed to try to close the gap, they found Remiro in a state of grace and their forwards with very little aim. Traoré saved the first local opportunity of the second half from Akhomach, who was licking his lips in front of the San Sebastian goalkeeper; then Baena and Gerard had a double chance and then again Gerard tried the impossible, diving over Remiro, although the shot went high.
La Real let their rival do more with such a wide score, but they were also able to round off an almost perfect score with a run by Sadiq who stood up to Jorgensen. He had too much time to think, he tried a couple of bicycles and in the end the bouncer, cold as an iceberg, took it from between his legs. But Imanol’s men, who at the end of the match dedicated the victory to Aitor Zabaleta, didn’t care. His work was done. Very well done.
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