Asier Illarramendi played an integral role in the hosts’ 10th-minute opener, as he took advantage of Thierry Correia’s costly slip and his cross-shot was inadvertently diverted into the net by Hugo Guillamon. However, the cheers inside the ground quickly turned into boos after Aritz Elustondo was controversially shown a red card for a challenge on Samuel Lino. Referee Jose Luis Munuera Montero initially brandished a yellow card, but following the intervention of the VAR and a look at the pitchside monitor, the punishment was upgraded and Sociedad were reduced to ten men.
Lino underlined his role as the villain in San Sebastian by levelling the scores with a well-worked equaliser. He fired his strike past Alex Remiro following a neat one-two with Guillamon, who gained some redemption after his own-goal which broke the deadlock. The hosts could have re-taken the lead, but Eray Cmert made an excellent clearance off the line from Alexander Sorloth’s header. Gattuso would have been the happier of the two coaches at the break, but the Italian did have the disappointment of losing Gabriel Paulista to injury with fellow centre-back Mouctar Diakhaby already on the sidelines.
La Real came agonisingly close to re-establishing the lead when Mikel Merino fed in Jon Magunazelaia Argoitia down the left flank with an audacious backheel, and his cross was fired onto the crossbar by Sorloth, who was a constant threat as he dragged a separate effort narrowly wide just moments later. Marcos André hit the woodwork himself down the other end, as his strike cannoned off the post with Remiro standing motionless between the sticks.
It ended all square in the Basque Country, in what was the fourth consecutive draw between the two sides. Imanol Alguacil’s team remain sixth, while Los Che missed out on a chance to move into the top half of the table and stay 11th.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Samuel Lino (Valencia)
