The last time Real Sociedad didn’t finish a match with victory, it was still summer. That was back on September 11th in Getafe, in Matchday 5 of LaLiga Santander. Since then, Imanol Alguacil’s side have won eight consecutive matches, across both the domestic competition and the Europa League, putting together a winning run not seen in San Sebastián since the 1966/67 season, before the current coach of the Basque side was even born.
Thanks to these eight consecutive wins, Real Sociedad are now third in the standings, so their objective of finishing in the top four, and earning a qualification spot for next season’s Champions League, is more alive than ever.
Following the match away at Getafe CF, which ended in a 2-1 victory for the home side, Real Sociedad were in 11th place in the table. Now, just a few rounds later and after defeating RCD Espanyol (2-1), Girona FC (3-5), Villarreal CF (1-0), RC Celta (1-2) and RCD Mallorca (1-0), they are in third place, having climbed ahead of RC Celta, Rayo Vallecano, Girona FC, Atlético de Madrid, Athletic Club, Villarreal CF, CA Osasuna and Real Betis.
With 22 points, they’ve even improved on last season’s solid start, when they were also third in Matchday 10 but with one point fewer than now. The team had also scored two goals less at this stage last season, with 16 this year compared to last term’s 14 goals. This year, the fans really do have even more reason to believe this can end up being a memorable season for the club.
In terms of the keys to this success, the club’s signings have been important and, of course, Imanol Alguacil’s coaching from the dugout has made an impact too. The arrival of Brais Méndez in the summer window has been a real boost to Real Sociedad’s overall play, as the midfielder is the team’s top scorer in LaLiga Santander, with five goals from the first 10 games. That’s the same tally as, among others, last season’s top scorer Karim Benzema. Brais Méndez has also provided two assists.
Alongside him, two of this season’s other signings, the Japanese winger Takefusa Kubo and French forward Mohamed-Ali Cho, have also helped the San Sebastián side to be more effective in attack with another two assists each.
The main driver of Real Sociedad in terms of assists and leadership has been Mikel Merino, the scorer of the goal that saw Imanol Alguacil’s side defeat RCD Mallorca last time out. The team are accumulating points thanks to Merino’s displays in front of goal, while his teammates are scoring thanks to him. This has all contributed to this run of eight consecutive victories. Merino has four assists and is the LaLiga Santander leader for this statistic.
This is a special season because of the break for the World Cup, so all the points that can be picked up before LaLiga Santander pauses will be important. Before the break, Real Sociedad have four tough fixtures ahead, and against some direct opponents in the table. They’ll take on Real Valladolid, Real Betis, Valencia CF and Sevilla FC in the four matchdays before the World Cup, aiming to keep up their good form and further consolidate their position by opening up a gap over their direct rivals.
