September 13, (THEWILL) — Real Madrid overcame a first-half red card to defeat Real Sociedad 2-1 at Reale Arena, maintaining their perfect start to the 2025/2026 season. Manager Xabi Alonso made significant changes to his starting XI ahead of the UEFA Champions League opener, giving opportunities to Brahim Díaz, Dani Carvajal, and Dani Ceballos in San Sebastián.
Kylian Mbappé opened the scoring in the 12th minute after intercepting a wayward pass from Mikel Goti, racing past the retreating defence before finishing clinically past Álex Remiro. The French forward nearly doubled his tally moments later but struck the woodwork, though Arda Güler had earlier seen a goal ruled out for offside within two minutes of kick-off.
The match turned when Dean Huijsen received a controversial red card for fouling Mikel Oyarzabal approximately 35 yards from goal. Referee Jesús Gil Manzano dismissed the centre-back without consulting VAR, sparking furious protests from Alonso and his players who questioned whether it constituted a clear goalscoring opportunity denial.
Despite the numerical disadvantage, Madrid extended their advantage before half-time through Güler, who converted after Mbappé’s excellent work down the byline. Real Sociedad responded in the second half when Oyarzabal converted a penalty following Carvajal’s handball, but Thibaut Courtois made several crucial saves whilst Éder Militão and Álvaro Carreras defended heroically.
The victory keeps Los Blancos top of La Liga ahead of their UCL campaign opener against Marseille at Santiago Bernabéu on Tuesday, September 16. Madrid’s resilient performance demonstrated their squad depth and determination to compete across multiple competitions this season.
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
