Real Sociedad and Villarreal faced off in the first leg of their Europa League qualification match on Thursday night, with Real Sociedad emerging victorious by a single goal.
The game started off slowly as both teams struggled to find their rhythm. However, Real Sociedad eventually broke through in the 25th minute when Yeray Llorente scored his second goal of the season from close range after being set up by Ander Iturraspe.
Villarreal tried to respond immediately but were unable to equalize, leaving them trailing 1-0 at half-time.
In the second half, Real Sociedad continued to dominate possession and create chances for themselves. Their attacking play was clinical, with Llorente again showing his quality in front of goal.
Despite Villarreal's best efforts, they were unable to find a way back into the match, and Real Sociedad held on to secure a crucial victory.
The win is a huge boost for Real Sociedad, who will now travel to Villarreal for the return leg next week. The team will need to be at its best if it wants to progress to the next round of the Europa League.
Overall, this was a closely contested match that ended in favor of Real Sociedad, thanks to a late winner from Yeray Llorente. The victory sets up a tough test against Villarreal in the return leg, which could go a long way towards determining the outcome of the tie.