Real Sociedad struck first after just three minutes when Kubo latched onto Héctor Fort’s pass and finished with his left to make it 0-1. The visitors doubled their lead in the 26th minute, with Orri Óskarsson driving a right-footed effort into the low corner. Málaga reshaped at halftime and pulled one back on 54 minutes as Adrián Niño guided in Pablo Martínez’s assist. Five minutes later, Mikel Oyarzabal restored the two-goal cushion with a left-footed strike from Kubo’s setup. Málaga answered again in the 66th minute when Pablo Martínez smashed home from a corner.

Any chance of a late swing faded quickly. Oyarzabal made it 2-4 on 67 minutes after Jon Martin’s break-up play sprung him free. Gonçalo Guedes arrived off the bench to put a bow on it at 73 minutes with a right-footed finish for 2-5. Real’s bench contributed smartly, while Málaga’s late changes could not stem the tide. The referee, Luis Bestard Servera, booked two visiting players, but discipline never derailed Real’s rhythm. In the end, the visitors’ finishing runs told the story.

Why the numbers favored Real Sociedad

Across the 90 minutes, Real Sociedad edged possession 55% to 45% and carried the bigger attacking threat by xG, 2.41 to 1.06. They took 21 shots to Málaga’s 17 and put 9 on target versus 6, a meaningful gap in a high-scoring game. Interceptions favored the visitors 13 to 7, and clearances stood 21 to 16, underlining how they controlled danger at both ends. Málaga did enjoy more touches in the box, 31 to 24, yet goals prevented swung it the other way: Álex Remiro finished at +0.16, while Alfonso Herrero posted -2.14. That goalkeeping swing helps explain how a fairly even chance profile turned into a three-goal margin.

Real’s passing also traveled well away from home, with 589 total passes and 525 accurate, and a better long-ball completion rate at 52% to Málaga’s 38%. Their average team Sofascore Rating was 7.71, comfortably above Málaga’s 7.04, which fits the flow and outcome. Cross efficiency favored Real too at 44% accuracy versus 31%. They were outdueled overall, but when they won the ball they progressed it cleanly and finished clinically. It was a performance built on measured control, quick combinations into advanced areas, and superior shot quality.

Málaga’s bright spells and missed chances

Málaga did plenty right going forward, especially after the break. They won 62% of all duels, including 63% on the ground and 57% in the air, and they completed more dribbles, 10 of 24, compared to Real’s 2 of 13. They also posted more final-third entries, 62 to 47, and more touches in the box, 31 to 24. The problem was conversion: Málaga missed three big chances to Real’s two and sent seven shots off target. When the home side stretched Real, they often found room, yet the last touch and shot selection betrayed them at key instants.

Pablo Martínez stood out with a goal, an assist, and four key passes, landing an 8.4 Sofascore Rating. Adrián Niño worked the lines well, scored once, and logged 0.90 xGOT from three attempts. David Larrubia added bite in midfield with two key passes and defensive work to match. Still, Real’s interceptions and clearances neutralized Málaga’s best stretches. And while Herrero made four saves, the goals-prevented number tells its own story in a 2-5 scoreline.

MVP: Mikel Oyarzabal’s complete display

Oyarzabal was at the center of everything with a 9.2 Sofascore Rating, the highest on the pitch. He scored twice from five shots, hitting the target three times and punishing Málaga’s defensive lapses. His link play was tidy and constant, completing 52 of 59 passes, with one key pass and a big chance created. Beyond the finishing, his ball carrying was immense: 26 carries for 253 meters total, with 121 meters of progression and 83 meters of progressive carries. He also chipped in five recoveries and did his share of front-line pressing over the full 90 minutes.

The captain’s timing and movement repeatedly unzipped Málaga’s back line, and his finishing separated the sides when the game loosened up. Around him, Real found more threats. Kubo earned a 7.9 with a goal and an assist, plus 15 carries and strong progression numbers. Off the bench, Guedes grabbed a 7.8 with a well-taken goal and a key pass, injecting pace and directness. For Málaga, Pablo Martínez’s 8.4 kept them competitive deep into the second half. The difference was that Oyarzabal made every key moment count.