Benat Turrientes scored in the 62nd minute after Goncalo Guedes’ assist to hand Real Sociedad a 1-0 victory
La Real generated 2.48 xG from 12 shots, compared to Athletic’s 0.73 from 13 attempts
Guedes has now contributed eight goals in nine matches in 2026 (four goals, four assists)
Copa Del Rey Semi-Final Leg 1: Who Won Yesterday's Athletic Bilbao Vs Real Sociedad Match?
Athletic Bilbao vs Real Sociedad, Copa del Rey 2025-26: Benat Turrientes’ second-half goal secured a 1-0 semi-final first-leg win for La Real, who now carry a slender advantage into the return fixture
Summary
Benat Turrientes was the matchwinner for Real Sociedad as they defeated Basque rivals Athletic Club 1-0 in the first leg of their Copa del Rey semi-final.
The midfielder struck in the 62nd minute in what was a dominant, but wasteful, performance from Pellegrino Matarazzo's side, as they now take a lead back to their place in the second leg.
Gorka Guruzeta headed straight at Alex Remiro before the half-hour mark for the hosts, while Alex Padilla made a brilliant save at the other end as he smothered Pablo Marin's shot when the latter went through on goal.
The Athletic goalkeeper was called upon again soon after when Jon Martin headed Soler's free-kick on target, while the referee waved away penalty appeals from La Real when the ball seemed to strike Aymeric Laporte's arm.
Marin squandered a golden opportunity when a rebound from Mikel Oyarzabal's initial effort fell kindly for the attacker, but he smashed his close-range attempt against the post.
Turrientes then produced the match-defining moment after Goncalo Guedes teed up the midfielder for a simple finish into an unguarded net, as the onrushing Padilla was beaten by the Portuguese forward.
Data Debrief: More derby delight for La Real
Pellegrino insisted his side would not be cautious in their approach to this match, and that was certainly the case. They produced 2.48 expected goals (xG) from 12 shots to Athletic's 0.73 from 13 attempts.
La Real have now won two of their last three matches against Athletic in all competitions (D1), as many wins as in their previous nine derbies against the Rojiblancos (D3 L4).
Guedes, meanwhile, has been involved in eight goals in nine matches for La Real in 2026 in all competitions (four goals and four assists), with only Fermín Lopez (11) and Kylian Mbappe (nine) contributing more among all LaLiga players.
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