Barrenetxea and Óskarsson give Real Sociedad their first points, 2-1 over Espanyol

Real Sociedad had lost their opening two matches. A tight home win over Espanyol gets them off the mark.

Ander Barrenetxea scored after four minutes. Roberto Fernández drew Espanyol level right on half-time. Orri Óskarsson put Real Sociedad back in front on 61, and this time the lead held.

Even on the ball, settled by the details

There was little between them: 51% possession to Real Sociedad, 17 shots to 11. Espanyol picked up four yellow cards to two and could not force a second equaliser.

Two defeats, one goal scored, five conceded

Real Sociedad had arrived at this game with nothing on the board. Kylian Mbappé's hat-trick beat them 4-1 in Real Madrid's postponed matchday-1 fixture at the Bernabéu, and Rodrigo Riquelme's 63rd-minute strike beat them 1-0 at Real Betis on matchday 2 — a defeat that came despite Real Sociedad out-xG'ing the home side, 1.40 to Betis' 1.06, and hitting the woodwork themselves. Two matches, two losses, one goal scored and five conceded. The win over Espanyol was the first time this season the underlying numbers actually turned into points.

Espanyol needed a stoppage-time header three days later

Espanyol's response to this defeat came in a different key. At home to Sevilla on matchday 4, they went behind to Lucas Stassin in the 85th minute even though Sevilla had been down to ten men since Arouna Sangante's 56th-minute red card, and had already seen an Espanyol goal by El Hilali ruled out by VAR in the 62nd. Marcos Fernández salvaged a point with a header in the eighth minute of stoppage time — Espanyol's second draw of the season, and proof that the same wastefulness that cost Real Sociedad two matchdays earlier can cost anyone.

Match facts

• 4' — Ander Barrenetxea (Real Sociedad)
• 45' — Roberto Fernández (Espanyol)
• 61' — Orri Óskarsson (Real Sociedad)

What's next

Four matchdays into the season, Real Sociedad sit 14th on 3 points from three games — one win, two defeats, three goals scored and six conceded — with their rescheduled matchday-4 fixture away at Elche still to be played. Espanyol are 11th on 4 points from four matches, one win, one draw and two defeats, after taking that late point off Sevilla. Both sides return after the international break, Real Sociedad still with a game in hand to complete the round.