Real: Claudio Bravo; Carlos Martínez, Ansotegi, Iñigo Martínez, José Angel; Bergara (Gaztañaga 48’), Rubén Pardo (Javi Ros 76’); Carlos Vela (Zurutuza 57’), Xabi Prieto, Griezmann; Agirretxe. 4-2-3-1.
Elche: Toño; Damián Suárez, Botía, Lombán, Edu Albácar; Rubén Pérez (Rivera 74’), Carlos Suárez; Carles Gil, Coro (Fidel 75’), Aarón Ñíguez; Manu del Moral (Boakye 64’). 4-2-3-1.
Goals:
1-0. 02.
Damián (own goal). Turned ball in off bar trying to clear Griezmann lob.
2-0. 12. Griezmann. Steered header back past Toño from Xabi Prieto centre.
3-0. 50. Carlos Vela. Ran past three defenders and thrashed shot past keeper.
4-0. 74. Griezmann. Volleyed shot in to net after Toño pushed out Agirretxe cross.
Yellow cards: Botía 22’, Rubén Pérez 70’, Gaztañaga 89' .
Sixth placed Real Sociedad opened up a five point gap over the teams below them after a 4-0 win against Elche on Monday evening. The star of the evening was Antoine Griezmann, the French striker opening the scoring with a lob over Toño in only the second minute which Damián Suárez could only run in to the net, and then heading a second from a Xabi Prieto cross some ten minutes later. Five minutes in to the second half Carlos Vela picked up the ball outside of the area and battled past three defenders to score his side’s third, and with a quarter of an hour to go Griezmann completed his hat-trick with an acrobatic volley after Toño could only push Agirretxe’s cross in to his path. The visitors finally reacted late on, Boakye bringing a good save out of Claudio Bravo and Damián rattling the crossbar with a free kick, but after a fifth defeat in seven games they find themselves just a place above the bottom three.
P.S. Griezmann was deprived of his hat-trick after the referee considered the first goal to be a Damián Suárez own goal.
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