Real Sociedad edged a five-goal thriller at Mestalla, beating Valencia 3-2 in a Spanish La Liga encounter that swung one way and then the other before the visitors finally found the decisive moment late in the second half. Mikel Oyarzabal's second goal of the night settled a contest that had twice seen Valencia fight their way back from behind, and it handed the Basque side three valuable away points in the race for European places.

Match Overview

Valencia started brightly in front of their own supporters, pressing high and forcing a series of early corners, but it was Real Sociedad who struck first with a beautifully constructed move. From that point the match became a genuine back-and-forth affair, with both teams committing numbers forward and the defensive lines looking increasingly stretched as the evening wore on.

• Final score: Valencia CF 2-3 Real Sociedad
• Competition: Spanish La Liga
• Venue: Mestalla, Valencia
• Result type: Away win for Real Sociedad

Key Moments

Real Sociedad opened the scoring from the penalty spot, with Oyarzabal sending the goalkeeper the wrong way after a foul inside the area. Valencia's response was swift and impressive: Hugo Duro levelled with a sharp piece of movement at the near post, meeting a cross with a first-time finish that gave the visiting keeper no chance.

Takefumi Kubo restored the lead for Real Sociedad shortly after the interval, cutting in from the right and curling a left-footed effort into the far corner. It was the goal of the night, and it came at a moment when Valencia had briefly looked the more assertive team. The home side, though, refused to fold, and Pepelu converted a penalty of his own to make it 2-2 and set up a tense final twenty minutes.

The winner arrived in the 84th minute. Real Sociedad worked the ball patiently around the edge of the box, and Oyarzabal arrived late to guide a low shot past the goalkeeper for his second of the match and his side's third. Valencia pushed bodies forward in the closing minutes but could not find a response.

Tactical Story

Both managers set their teams up to attack, which is precisely why this game produced five goals. Valencia tried to dominate through wide overlaps and early deliveries, while Real Sociedad favoured shorter combinations in central areas designed to pull the opposition midfield out of shape.

The key difference came in the final third. Real Sociedad's attacking players were more precise in the decisive moments, taking their chances with composure, while Valencia's finishing was more hurried. Defensively, both sides struggled with runners arriving from deep, and neither goalkeeper enjoyed a comfortable evening.

Real Sociedad's substitutions also had an impact, allowing them to keep a fresh attacking presence on the pitch as the game opened up. Valencia's changes were more reactive, designed to chase the equaliser rather than control the contest, and that left space which the visitors exploited for the winner.

Standout Performers

• Mikel Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad): Two goals, one from the spot and one from open play, including the decisive strike four minutes from time.
• Takefumi Kubo (Real Sociedad): A constant threat on the right, capped by a wonderfully taken second goal.
• Hugo Duro (Valencia): Led the line well and scored a striker's goal, giving his side a platform to fight back.
• Pepelu (Valencia): Composed from the penalty spot under real pressure and industrious in midfield.

What It Means for the Table

For Real Sociedad, this is the kind of away result that shapes a season. Mestalla is never an easy place to take three points, and doing so while scoring three times will boost belief in the dressing room and strengthen their position in the race for European qualification. Their head-to-head record against Valencia now looks healthy, and the attacking fluency on display is a genuine positive.

Valencia, meanwhile, are left to reflect on a familiar frustration: they scored twice at home and still lost. The team's attacking output is encouraging, but conceding three goals at Mestalla is difficult to accept, and the defensive lapses that allowed Real Sociedad's runners to arrive unmarked in the box will be the central theme of the post-match analysis. The result keeps Valencia looking over their shoulder rather than upward in the standings, and the pressure to tighten up at the back grows with every round.