Wasting no time in this long trip south, Sociedad took the lead after just 11 minutes through Job Ochieng’s first goal for the club. The visitors’ first corner of the game was only cleared as far as Carlos Soler, whose cushioned ball back into the box was thrashed right-footed into the roof of the Elche net by Ochieng to give Sociedad an away lead for the first time this season.
Luka Sucic then had a long-range effort saved by Matias Dutiro, but Elche then grew into proceedings, with Brighton loanee Facundo Buonanotte shooting straight at Unai Marrero from 25 yards before Ezequiel Ponce fired over when well placed inside the box.
Given a timely jolt by the latter reprieve, Sociedad capitalised with aplomb on 31 minutes, doubling their lead as Yangel Herrera capitalised on a comedy of errors in the Elche defence. A poor touch by captain Pedro Bigas was pounced upon by Ochieng on the right wing, and the Kenyan teed up Herrera, whose first-time hit lacked power but somehow squirmed inexplicably under Dutiro and into the bottom corner.
Clearly not content with two goals, La Real threatened a third before the break when former Wolves forward Goncalo Guedes burst through on goal, but saw his effort saved by Dutiro while under pressure from Bigas.
After a slow start following the break, the game turned on its head in a dramatic five-minute spell after the hour mark.
Sociedad thought they’d added a third against the run of play when Luka Sucic slotted past Dutiro. That was until referee Miguel Angel Ortiz Arias not only ruled out the goal following a VAR review but also gave a red card to substitute Jon Martin for a handball which denied Elche striker Abiel Osorio a clear goalscoring opportunity.
The hosts then halved the deficit almost immediately through debutant Thomas Lemar, as the Frenchman – making his debut on loan from Atletico Madrid – drilled right-footed into the bottom from 20 yards.
Elche then equalised with just over 15 minutes to go. Tete Morente’s volleyed cross into the six-yard box found Fer Nino, who chested home from almost on the goalline.
Nino and Lucas Cepeda then tested Marrera before Osorio sent a left-foot volley agonisingly wide, before 10-man Sociedad recovered to stun the home crowd in the 90th minute.
Sucic wasn’t to be denied by VAR again, and in the latter minutes, he drove into the box before finding the bottom corner with an unstoppable left-foot shot.
But that wasn’t the end of the drama, as Nino went close to equalising in stoppage time, only for his close-range header to be saved at point-blank range by Marrera.
Sociedad now take a three-game unbeaten run into Sunday’s home game with Atletico Madrid, while Elche travel to in-form Athletic Club on Saturday, still searching for their first win of the season after keeping up their unfortunate 100% record of conceding first this term.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Fer Nino (Elche)
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