Valencia 2–3 Real Sociedad: How Sociedad Snatched Victory in a Dramatic Finish

Valencia 2–3 Real Sociedad: How Real Sociedad Snatched Victory in a Dramatic Finish

Real Sociedad produced a dramatic late victory at Mestalla, defeating Valencia 3–2 after a match that changed direction several times.

The visitors took the lead through Luka Sučić in the 26th minute, but Valencia fought back after half-time. Aaron Mayol equalised in the 57th minute, before Carlos Soler restored Real Sociedad's lead from the penalty spot in the 75th minute.

Valencia then found another equaliser through an unfortunate Luken Beitia own goal in the 84th minute.

At that point, a draw appeared likely.

But Real Sociedad refused to settle.

In the first minute of added time, Ander Barrenetxea finished a pass from Carlos Soler to make it 3–2.

Valencia still had one more opportunity, but Alex Remiro produced a crucial stoppage-time save to preserve the lead.

So, how did Real Sociedad turn a match that seemed to be slipping away into a dramatic victory?

Welcome to MatchWhy, where we don't just tell you the score — we explain why.

Match Details

Match: Valencia vs Real Sociedad
Competition: La Liga
Date: Sunday, 20 September 2026
Kick-off: 21:00
Venue: Estadio de Mestalla, Valencia
Attendance: 45,122
Referee: José Luis Munuera Montero
Final Score: Valencia 2–3 Real Sociedad

The match was decided in stoppage time, with Barrenetxea scoring in the 90+1st minute. Published match records also list Munuera Montero as the referee and confirm the 45,122 attendance.

First Half: Real Sociedad Find the Better Route to Goal

Valencia began the match positively.

The home side circulated the ball with short passes and attempted to control possession. They were patient rather than constantly forcing forward passes.

Real Sociedad, however, looked more dangerous when they could move the ball quickly into the spaces around Valencia's defence.

That difference became increasingly important.

At the 3rd minute, Jon Aramburu nearly created an opportunity with a dangerous pass into the penalty area, although Luka Sučić could not take advantage.

Three minutes later, Carlos Soler found space inside the box, but his attempt was stopped by Stole Dimitrievski.

Real Sociedad were beginning to find ways into the Valencia penalty area.

Valencia's possession vs Real Sociedad's directness

VALENCIA

Short passes
     ↓
Patient possession
     ↓
Move the defence
     ↓
Find space


REAL SOCIEDAD

Quick combination
     ↓
Pass through the defensive line
     ↓
Attack the box
     ↓
Finish

Valencia were trying to build the game.

Real Sociedad were looking for the moment to break it open.

26' — Luka Sučić Gives Real Sociedad the Lead

The breakthrough arrived in the 26th minute.

Job Ochieng played a clever pass through to Luka Sučić, who moved into the penalty area.

Sučić did not rush his finish.

He picked his spot and sent the ball into the top-left corner.

Valencia 0–1 Real Sociedad.

It was an excellent example of Real Sociedad's attacking approach.

The goal did not come from a long period of aimless pressure. It came from a precise pass that created a clear route into the box.

OCHIENG
   │
   │ precise pass
   ↓
SUČIĆ
   │
   └──────→ ⚽ TOP CORNER

VALENCIA 0–1 REAL SOCIEDAD

Real Sociedad had the lead.

Now Valencia had to respond.

Valencia Try to Restore Control

The goal did not cause Valencia to abandon their possession-based approach.

They continued circulating the ball and searching for openings.

At 17 minutes, Valencia were already exchanging combinations and attempting to pull Real Sociedad's defensive structure apart.

Javi Guerra tested the visitors with an effort from outside the box at 27 minutes, but it went wide.

Valencia also tried to use Arnaut Danjuma and José Gayà to create opportunities from wider positions.

Real Sociedad's defence repeatedly dealt with the crosses.

Real Sociedad Nearly Double the Lead

The visitors had opportunities to make it 2–0 before half-time.

At 43 minutes, Mikel Oyarzabal created space inside the penalty area and fired toward the middle of the goal.

Dimitrievski saved.

A minute later, Carlos Soler reacted quickly to a rebound inside the box, but his effort was blocked.

Jon Martín then headed a corner just wide.

Real Sociedad therefore had opportunities to extend their advantage.

They did not take them.

That would become important later.

Half-Time: Valencia 0–1 Real Sociedad

The first half ended with Real Sociedad in front.

Valencia had enjoyed periods of possession, but Real Sociedad had demonstrated greater danger when attacking the spaces around the penalty area.

The visitors also had chances to make the scoreline more comfortable.

They entered the dressing room with a narrow one-goal advantage.

Second Half: Valencia Change the Momentum

Valencia made a change at half-time, bringing David Otorbi on for Filip Ugrinić.

The substitution gave Valencia another attacking option.

The home side immediately increased the pressure.

Corners became particularly important.

At 48 minutes, Javi Guerra's shot was blocked.

Another corner followed.

Danjuma delivered into the area, but Real Sociedad defended the situation.

Valencia kept coming.

57' — Valencia Equalise

Eventually, the pressure produced the equaliser.

A loose ball fell to Aaron Mayol inside the box.

Mayol reacted quickly and fired the ball into the top of the net.

Valencia 1–1 Real Sociedad.

The match had changed completely.

Real Sociedad had controlled important moments of the opening half.

Now Valencia had momentum.

VALENCIA PRESSURE

Corner
   ↓
Second ball
   ↓
Loose ball
   ↓
MAYOL
   ↓
⚽
1–1

Real Sociedad now had to withstand a more aggressive Valencia.

63' — Remiro Makes a Huge Save

Valencia nearly completed the comeback.

David Otorbi found himself one-on-one with Alex Remiro inside the six-yard box.

Otorbi tried to place the ball into the right side of the goal.

Remiro reacted brilliantly.

He made the save.

This was one of the most important moments of the match.

If Otorbi had scored, Valencia would have gone 2–1 ahead.

Instead, Real Sociedad survived.

Why this save mattered

Football matches can turn on very small margins.

At this moment:

Valencia goal → 2–1 Valencia

But Remiro's save meant:

No goal → Match remains 1–1

Real Sociedad stayed alive.

75' — VAR Gives Real Sociedad a Penalty

The match turned again.

At 74 minutes, Javi Guerra was involved in a challenge that led to a penalty decision after VAR intervention.

Referee José Luis Munuera Montero reviewed the incident.

The final decision:

Penalty to Real Sociedad.

Carlos Soler stepped forward.

He had the opportunity to put the visitors back in front.

75' — Soler Restores Real Sociedad's Lead

Soler calmly placed the penalty into the bottom-left corner.

Stole Dimitrievski could not reach it.

Valencia 1–2 Real Sociedad.

The goal was a major swing.

Only minutes earlier, Valencia had been close to taking the lead.

Now Real Sociedad were back in front.

VALENCIA MOMENTUM
        ↓
OTorbi ONE-ON-ONE
        ↓
REMIRO SAVE
        ↓
VAR REVIEW
        ↓
PENALTY
        ↓
SOLER ⚽
        ↓
VALENCIA 1–2 SOCIEDAD

Real Sociedad had survived Valencia's best spell and then punished them from the penalty spot.

Valencia Refuse to Give Up

But Valencia were not finished.

They continued pushing forward.

At 79 minutes, Danjuma attempted to find a teammate in a dangerous position, but the pass was blocked.

At 82 minutes, Otorbi had another effort blocked.

Valencia also continued winning corners.

The pressure was becoming constant.

Real Sociedad were increasingly focused on defending their advantage.

84' — Valencia Equalise Again

The pressure finally produced another goal.

A cross entered the dangerous area.

Luken Beitia attempted to intervene and block the ball.

Instead, the ball went into his own net.

Valencia 2–2 Real Sociedad.

The comeback was complete.

Valencia had now recovered from two separate deficits.

First they came from 0–1 down to 1–1.

Then they came from 1–2 down to 2–2.

With only minutes remaining, the match appeared destined for a draw.

But Real Sociedad had one final response.

VAR Checks the Equaliser

Valencia's celebrations were briefly interrupted as VAR reviewed the goal.

At 86 minutes, referee Munuera Montero confirmed the decision.

The goal stood.

The score was officially 2–2.

Now both teams had only one objective:

Find the winner.

The Final Six Minutes

Real Sociedad made another change, bringing Arsen Zakharyan on for Luka Sučić.

Valencia also made changes as they attempted to find fresh attacking energy.

The game became increasingly stretched.

At this stage, defensive concentration was just as important as attacking quality.

One mistake could decide everything.

And one final opening appeared.

90+1' — Barrenetxea Wins the Match

Real Sociedad won a corner in stoppage time.

The ball was played short.

Carlos Soler then provided a pass into the box for Ander Barrenetxea.

Barrenetxea took the opportunity.

He produced a precise finish into the top-right corner.

Valencia 2–3 Real Sociedad.

The timing was brutal for Valencia.

They had fought back twice.

They had equalised only seven minutes earlier.

Now they were behind again.

But this time, there was barely any time left.

90+1'

SOLER
   │
   └──────→ BARRENETXEA
                  ↓
              INTO BOX
                  ↓
              FINISH
                  ↗
             TOP RIGHT

VALENCIA 2–3
REAL SOCIEDAD

The published match report also identifies Barrenetxea's stoppage-time goal as the decisive moment of the match.

90+4' — Remiro Saves Real Sociedad Again

Valencia immediately tried to respond.

Aimar Blazquez rose to meet a cross and produced a close-range header.

It was heading toward goal.

Alex Remiro reacted brilliantly.

He made a crucial save.

This was arguably the final decisive intervention of the match.

Without it, Valencia could have equalised for a third time.

90+6' — Oskarsson Sent Off

The drama continued.

Orri Oskarsson was shown a yellow card after an incident involving the referee.

Seconds later, he received a second yellow.

Red card.

Real Sociedad were now down to ten players.

But there was almost no time remaining.

Valencia could not take advantage.

90+8' — Full-Time

José Luis Munuera Montero looked at his watch and ended the match.

Valencia 2–3 Real Sociedad.

Real Sociedad had done it.

They had survived two Valencia comebacks and then scored the winner in stoppage time.

MatchWhy Tactical Breakdown

The match was essentially a battle between Valencia's possession and pressure and Real Sociedad's ability to attack space and remain dangerous during transition moments.

1. Real Sociedad attacked the space more directly

Their first goal demonstrated this perfectly.

Ochieng's pass found Sučić inside the penalty area.

Instead of continuing to circulate possession, Real Sociedad identified an opportunity and attacked it.

2. Valencia's second-half pressure changed the game

Valencia became much more aggressive after the interval.

Their corners, crosses and second-ball situations repeatedly placed Real Sociedad under pressure.

That pressure produced their first equaliser and later contributed to the own goal.

3. Remiro kept Real Sociedad alive

The goalkeeper was crucial.

His one-on-one save from Otorbi prevented Valencia from taking the lead.

His stoppage-time save from Blazquez prevented Valencia from equalising again.

Those two moments had a direct impact on the result.

4. Real Sociedad remained aggressive after 2–2

This was perhaps the biggest difference.

After Valencia equalised in the 84th minute, Real Sociedad could have settled for the draw.

Instead, they continued looking for an attacking opportunity.

The reward came through Barrenetxea.

The Goalkeeper Battle

Alex Remiro

Remiro was one of Real Sociedad's most important players.

His major interventions included:

Saving Otorbi's one-on-one chance.
Dealing with Valencia's crosses and corners.
Making the crucial late save from Blazquez.

Those saves allowed Real Sociedad to remain in the match long enough to find the winner.

Stole Dimitrievski

Dimitrievski also made several important interventions.

He denied Carlos Soler early in the match.

He saved Oyarzabal's effort.

He dealt with several Real Sociedad attempts.

However, Sučić, Soler and Barrenetxea eventually found ways past him.

The Four Biggest Turning Points

Turning Point 1: Sučić's 26th-minute goal

Real Sociedad took the lead through a precise attacking combination.

It forced Valencia to chase the match.

Turning Point 2: Remiro denies Otorbi

At 63 minutes, Valencia had a major opportunity to go 2–1 ahead.

Remiro saved.

Soon afterward, Real Sociedad received a penalty and went 2–1 ahead themselves.

That was a huge swing.

Turning Point 3: Beitia's own goal

Valencia's pressure forced another dangerous situation inside the Real Sociedad box.

The resulting own goal made it 2–2.

It looked like Valencia had rescued a point.

Turning Point 4: Barrenetxea's 90+1 winner

The decisive moment.

Soler found Barrenetxea.

Barrenetxea finished.

Real Sociedad were suddenly ahead again.

Why Real Sociedad Won

1. They were clinical in key moments

Sučić converted his opportunity.

Soler converted the penalty.

Barrenetxea converted the late chance.

Three decisive moments produced three goals.

2. Remiro made the difference

The goalkeeper's saves prevented Valencia from taking control at crucial moments.

3. Soler influenced the decisive stages

Soler was involved in two of Real Sociedad's most important moments.

He converted the penalty and then supplied the pass for Barrenetxea's winner.

4. They continued attacking until the end

The decisive goal came after Valencia had equalised.

Real Sociedad did not simply protect the 2–2 scoreline.

They searched for one final opportunity.

Why Valencia Lost Despite Fighting Back Twice

Valencia deserve credit for the way they responded.

They did not collapse after conceding the opener.

They equalised through Mayol.

After Soler's penalty, they fought back again.

They made it 2–2.

But the problem came in the final minutes.

At 2–2, Valencia had momentum and the chance to secure at least a point.

Instead, they allowed Real Sociedad to create one final decisive attack.

Then, after going behind again, Blazquez's header was denied by Remiro.

The match was therefore decided by two moments:

Barrenetxea scored.

Remiro saved.

Match Timeline

26' — 0–1: Luka Sučić
57' — 1–1: Aaron Mayol
75' — 1–2: Carlos Soler, penalty
84' — 2–2: Luken Beitia own goal
90+1' — 2–3: Ander Barrenetxea

90+6' — Orri Oskarsson sent off
90+8' — Full-time

Match in One Sentence

Real Sociedad survived Valencia's two comebacks before Barrenetxea's 90+1-minute winner and Remiro's late save secured a dramatic 3–2 victory.

Final Takeaway

Valencia 2–3 Real Sociedad was a match decided by resilience, goalkeeping and late execution.

Real Sociedad started better and deserved their early lead through Sučić.

Valencia responded after half-time and eventually equalised through Mayol.

Then came another twist when Soler converted from the penalty spot.

Valencia refused to surrender again, and an own goal brought the score to 2–2.

At that point, a draw looked likely.

But Real Sociedad continued searching.

Carlos Soler found Barrenetxea.