Keen to prove some of their doubters wrong, the home side were presented with a golden opportunity to take the lead with 19 minutes on the clock when Fábio Cardoso was adjudged to have handled the ball inside the area.
Mikel Oyarzabal has been one of the few bright sparks for Sociedad so far this season, and he made no mistake from the spot to give La Real the lead.
That familiar feeling returned for under-fire manager Sergio Francisco on the half-hour mark, though, as a free-kick from Gabriel Suazo picked out Nemanja Gudelj, and his first-time effort took a slight deflection to direct it past Álex Remiro.
No LaLiga team had scored fewer first-half goals this season than Sociedad’s two prior to this game, but they bucked this trend to retake the lead six minutes later.
A loose ball inside the area following a 50-50 fell for Oyarzabal, who produced a powerful finish on the turn to beat Odysseas Vlachodimos and find the bottom right-hand corner, ensuring a half-time lead for his side.
Sevilla have now conceded 2+ goals in a LaLiga fixture six times this season.Sociedad have been known for their eye-catching style of football in recent times, but they displayed an impressive level of game management in the second half.
Their six-point haul from their opening nine games is their worst return in 11 years, yet Francisco’s men proved their togetherness as they dug in to keep a talented Sevilla side at bay.
All told, only five shots – none of which were on target – were registered in the second half, as the Rojiblancos failed to find a way back into the contest, missing out on the chance to jump into the European places in the process.
They remain ninth, while the buoyant Sociedad climb out of the relegation zone and up to 14th, with La Real hoping this victory can be a turning point in their disappointing campaign to date.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Mikel Oyarzabal (Real Sociedad)