Real Sociedad: Marrero; Héctor Fort (Guedes, min. 46), Beitia, Jon Martín, Sarr, Sergio Gómez; Turrientes Gorrotxategi, min. 46),, Yangel Herrera (Zakharyan, min. 84), Barrenetxea (Kubo, min. 84),; Oyarzabal (Sucic, min. 73) and Oskarsson.
Bournemouth: Petrović; Smith (Diakité, min. 63), Hill, Silva, Truffert; Tavernier, Adams (Christie, min. 63), Scott, Rayan (Doak, min. 71); Kluivert (Brooks, min. 84), y Evanilson (Álvaro Rodríguez, min. 71)
Referee: Paweł Raczkowski. Showed yellow card to Turrientes, Barrenetxea and Oskarsson, from Real Sociedad; and Kluivert, Truffert and Diakité, from AFC Bournemouth.
Goals: 0-1 Kluivert (min. 12). 0-2 Rayan (min. 20). 1-2 Sergio Gómez (min. 57).
Stadium: Anoeta. 30020 attendance.
The first half was dominated entirely by the English side. The first chance of the match fell to Rayan, who sent a volley from inside the box over the bar.
Yangel Herrera tried his luck a few minutes later with the same result. From then on, the visitors created a string of goals and chances, having come into the match with a bit more intensity than their opponents.
Matarrazzo’s five-man defence did little to stop Bournemouth from finding their players with numerous crosses. In the 12th minute, they took the lead in this manner with a finish from Kluivert following a pass from Truffert.
After the goal, Bournemouth did not let up and continued to press for another. So much so that they found it eight minutes later with another cross from Smith to Rayan’s head, which beat Marrero following a somewhat erratic rush off his line by the home goalkeeper.
Boos began to ring out in the stadium, reflecting the fans’ dissatisfaction with the erratic performance of the starting eleven. The damage could have been worse had it not been for the post, which denied Evanilson’s header from another set-piece.
The closing stages of the first half were more evenly matched, although the visitors remained resolute in front of their own goal. Mikel Oyarzabal was one of the few bright spots for the Spanish side, with some commendable moments as he shook off the Cherries’ pressure.
The second half was completely different to the first. Gonzalo Guedes’ substitution for Héctor Fort added an extra attacking player for Real Sociedad, and from the restart they threw everything into their attempt to mount a comeback. It didn’t take long for the first goal to arrive, courtesy of Sergio Gómez, who sent in a cross that found no takers, but the ball’s spin saw it sneak into the Bournemouth net in the 57th minute.
The stadium erupted into a deafening roar, spurring their team on in search of an equaliser, which came very close.
But as the minutes ticked by, Real Sociedad were unable to maintain their intensity across all areas of the pitch, due to the fatigue resulting from this early part of the season, in which they have played three matches in a week. The fatigue took its toll, and their play was driven more by heart than by head.
Guedes tried his luck with two shots, one which went over the bar and the other saved by Petrović. However, that wasn’t the clearest chance; they had to wait until deep into stoppage time.
Jon Martín struck a volley that was heading wide until Oskarrson got a touch on it on the goal line; with everything in his favour, he smashed the ball straight at the goalkeeper when it was harder to miss than to score.
In the end, the match ended in a 1–2 victory for Bournemouth, with the lead they had built up in a strong first half proving enough to secure their first-ever European victory at this legendary ground.
It was a good European fixture in which both teams showcased their strengths. Bournemouth knew how to seize the moment and convert their dominance into goals, something Real Sociedad struggled with; their response, whilst good, was not enough to make up for the ground they had lost.
Bournemouth defended well; their players gave their all physically and are deserved winners of the match. It is their first-ever victory in European competition. Congratulations!
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