First Division - Day 31

Real Sociedad 3 - Sporting Gijón 1

Real Sociedad: Rulli; Zaldúa (Aritz Elustondo 74’), Raúl Navas, Iñigo Martínez, Yuri; Xabi Prieto, Illarramendi, Zurutuza; Carlos Vela (Canales 81‘), Willian José (Oyarzabal 68’), Juanmi. 4-3-3.
Sporting: Cuéllar; Lillo, Jorge Meré, Amorebieta, Elderson; Sergio Alvarez, Xavi Torres (Pablo Fernández 78’), Mikel Vesga; Víctor Rodríguez (Carmona 63’), Carlos Castro (Viguera 59’), Burgui. 4-3-3.

Goals:
1-0. 03. Willian José. Far post header down in to net from Xabi Prieto cross
2-0. 27. Juanmi. Controlled lofted Prieto pass and steered shot past Cuéllar.
3-0. 77. Yuri. Picked up Zurutuza pass and fired angled shot past keeper.
3-1. 87. Elderson. Got in the way of Viguera shot to deflected ball past Rulli.

Yellow cards: Sergio Alvarez 17’, Mikel Vesga 23’, Xavi Torres 31’, Juanmi 72’, Amorebieta 80’, Burgui 91’.

Real Sociedad returned to winning ways on Monday evening, a 3-1 victory over Sporting Gijón taking them back up to sixth in the table. The Basque side had only picked up one point from their last four games, but with only three minutes gone Willian José headed them in to the lead from a Xabi Prieto cross, the referee waving away claims from Cuéllar that he had pushed the ball clear before it was fully over the line. Burgui went close a couple of times for the visitors a few minutes later, but with just under half an hour on the clock Juanmi made it two following another Prieto assist. Shortly before the break Yuri saw his shot deflected on to the post by Meré, and after the restart Willian José, Juanmi and Zurutuza all tried their luck before Zurutuza set up Yuri for the third. Elderson did get one back late on for the visitors without knowing too much about it when a shot from Vigerua came off his foot past Rulli, but the Asturians remain in the bottom three, still five points away from safety.