La Real’s quest to end a dour run of recent form received the perfect start with barely 40 seconds on the clock, as a turnover in possession on the left flank saw a ball from Luka Sucic glide across the area to Sheraldo Becker, who marked his 30th birthday in style with a rocket into the bottom-left corner of Joan Garcia’s net.
The hosts continued to look the stronger of the two sides by a considerable distance throughout the first half, and Sucic could have turned goalscorer on 18’, only to see a low drive to the left post kept out.
For their part, Espanyol offered virtually nothing in return, with no shots, 27% possession, and seven fouls to show for their efforts up to half-time, suggesting strongly that it would take something drastic to avert a sixth straight head-to-head away loss.
It took just seven second-half minutes for Espanyol’s route back to manifest itself, though it was as much a case of ‘dramatic’ as ‘drastic’, with a long ball from Garcia finding Leandro Cabrera, who managed to put Javi Puado in on goal.
Nayef Aguerd was tasked with beating him in a footrace, and ultimately brought Puado down in the box with a high leg to his shin. The Espanyol man fell in rather exaggerated fashion, and after winning the spot-kick, he sent Alex Remiro the wrong way with an assertive strike into the same corner Becker had found earlier.
Sociedad remained the better side despite the setback, though their execution in the final third failed continually when faced with a staunch Espanyol backline. And they could well have added to a tally of five counter-attacking league goals for the season, with a misplaced pass precipitating a breakaway that culminated in a miskick from Roberto Fernandez.
That said, Sociedad had one of their own to reflect on within a couple of minutes, and it took a block from Alvaro Aguado to take the ball away from a lurking Ander Barrenetxea inside the box. After Jon Aramburu fired over almost on the penalty spot, Sociedad fans may have been resigned to another drab afternoon.
But there was to be a late twist, as Aguerd atoned for his earlier error, bombing down the left flank and squaring for substitute Brais Mendez, who lobbed past Garcia at the near post just four minutes after entering the fray.
In turn, he clinched the victory and moved Sociedad within four points of the top six. As for Espanyol, they remain above the dotted line for now, though with their wait for a first away league win of the season still alive (D2, L9), they have every reason to be looking over their shoulders.
Flashscore Man of the Match: Sheraldo Becker (Real Sociedad)
