A goal from the incombustible David Silva, on his 37th birthday, and another from the Norwegian Alexander Sörloth in just five minutes, in minutes 47 and 52, gave victory to an imperial Real Sociedad (0-2) in Almería , as a reward for the excellent game of a team from San Sebastian that established itself as third in the ‘Champions’ positions and that stopped an impotent team from Almería.
The handling of the midfield and the effectiveness of Imanol Alguacil’s team were key to controlling a U.D. Almería saw its streak of four consecutive victories at home halted, as it lacked depth and weapons to pressure the intentions of the blue and whites.
La Real, after a first half of warnings with two chances from the Japanese Take Kubo and a clearer one from Asier Illarramendi, who headed high with everything in his favour, did not wait in the second half to, in five minutes, seal the match, with two actions in which the success was in the pass.
Kubo’s assist came first, two minutes into the second half, so that David Silva, applauded when he was substituted, opened the scoring after the VAR validated it after initially signaling the Japanese offside; and then it was a pass into space by Mikel Moreno, key in the triumph of the txuri urdin, for Sorloth to make it 0-2 in minute 52.
Almería and Real Sociedad staged a first half in which there was not much football, largely because the dominance exercised by the San Sebastian team prevented Almería from being seen ‘loose’ as in previous home games. Imanol’s team managed football in the midfield and invited Almería to suffer.
Almería did not have the ability to run against a realistic team that took over the midfield, with the ‘appearance’ of David Silva, entering between the lines, and Mikel Merino, who was in charge of filtering balls to create uncertainty in a red and white defense who endured and did not allow the joys of the rival, but aware that the concessions could be paid for.
Thus, in the 15th minute, Take Kubo warned with a cross shot, after a bad throw from Fernando, while Almería, imprecise in the pass, did not worry Álex Remiro, who was not harassed and increased his presence in attack .
At minute 26, the connection between a precise Mikel Merino and Illarramendi ended with a bad shot from the royalist captain, who sent a good cross into limbo. In addition, without reaction time, at minute 28, the one who was close to the goal was Take Kubo again, who managed to get away from Sergio Akieme and looked for the short stick, although he found Fernando intervening.
Almería reacted when they found their speed. The Belgian Largie Ramazani then became the creator of the danger with a couple of arrivals, the last one in minute 43 with a ball filtered by Melero that ended with Remiro anticipating.
At the start of the second half, Real sealed the match with two actions in which Almería lacked a draw. The first, in minute 47, was created by Take Kubo with a filtered low pass towards David Silva, who sent it into the back of the net, although the goal required VAR validation due to a possible offside that was not, being the Serbian Babic in line with the Japanese.
Shortly after, in minute 52, Sorloth made the second taking advantage of a great action by Mikel Merino, who put a good service to the Norwegian so that he appeared between the lines and, with a powerful left foot, left Almería broken and unable to react, to despite the fact that Rubi, his coach, tried it by giving Embarba the entry for the Colombian rookie Luis Suárez to look for a speed that he could not find.
The team from San Sebastian were able to score the third eight minutes from time, but Fernando Martínez prevented it with two consecutive actions: first by stopping Mikel Oyarzabal’s one-on-one shot, who came on in the second half, and then against the homegrown midfielder Robert Navarro, after the rejection.
Check the Santander League table.
Almeria: Fernando Martinez; Mendes (Pozo, m.74), Ely, Babic, Akieme; Robertone (Portillo, m.65), Gonzalo Melero, Caesar of the Sickle; Luis Suarez (Embarba, 55), El Bilal Toure (Dyego Sousa, 65), Ramazani (Lazaro Vinicius, 65).
Real Sociedad: Remiro; Elustondo, Zubeldia, Le Normand, Diego Rico; David Silva (Robert Navarro, m.81), Illarramendi (Guevara, m.81), Zubimendi, Mikel Merino (Oyarzabal, m.70); Sorloth (Martín, m.85), Take Kubo (Marín, m.70).
Goals: 0-1, M.47: David Silva. 0-2, M.52: Sorloth.
Referee: Alberola Rojas (Castilian-La Mancha Committee). No reprimands. He admonished the local Babic (m. 90).
Incidents: Match corresponding to the sixteenth day of LaLiga Santander, played at the Power Horse Stadium before 12,020 spectators. Before kick-off, a minute’s silence was observed in memory of former Cameroonian Almería soccer player Modeste M’Bami, who died on Saturday, and season ticket holder Juan Montoya López.
