Real Sociedad strikes first at San Mamés with Turrientes’ goal in Copa semi-final

Real Sociedad land the first blow in Bilbao

Real Sociedad left San Mamés with something tangible to show for a performance built on authority, composure and ambition: a lead in their Copa del Rey semi-final against Athletic. In an arena known for swallowing visiting teams, the side coached by Pellegrino Matarazzo played as if the occasion belonged to them, controlling long stretches and creating the clearest chances of the night. The tie is not finished — the decisive leg will be played at Anoeta — but the first chapter in Bilbao suggested a team that believes it can go all the way, with the final at La Cartuja now a little closer.

The context only sharpened the edge of the contest. The memory of a recent league derby was still fresh, and the semi-final carried all the tension that comes with a route to a showpiece. Yet Real Sociedad did not retreat into caution. From the opening minutes they sought to impose their football, refusing to be intimidated by the atmosphere or the weight of the moment. The result was a mature display, one that combined rhythm, pressure and patience — and, crucially, ended with a goal that could prove decisive.

Matarazzo’s impact and a team unbeaten in 2026

The match also served as another marker of how dramatically Matarazzo has altered Real Sociedad’s trajectory. The coach has overseen a transformation that, according to the information available from the match narrative, has carried into 2026 without defeat. A side that not long ago appeared to be struggling has been lifted to the brink of a cup final — a shift described as significant in scale and meaning.

In Bilbao, the change was visible not just in the scoreline but in the attitude. The visitors played with the conviction of a team that expects to compete in big moments. They pressed, they moved the ball with intent, and they built attacks that repeatedly forced Athletic into emergency defending. If there was a complaint from the away side, it was that the advantage did not grow larger given the volume and quality of chances created.

Padilla’s saves keep Athletic alive

For much of the evening, Athletic’s resistance had a clear face: Alex Padilla. The goalkeeper, described as a league backup but selected for the cup by Ernesto Valverde, emerged as an unexpected central figure. Real Sociedad’s superiority in play, tempo and chances threatened to become overwhelming, but Padilla’s interventions prevented the match from tipping earlier.

One of the first major openings fell to Pablo Marín after a well-weighted pass from Guedes. Marín’s effort demanded a sharp reaction from Padilla, who managed to keep the ball out and push the danger away, conceding a corner rather than a goal. Soon after, Jon Martín met a chance with a header that was well directed, only for Padilla to deny him again — the ball striking the goalkeeper’s thigh as he stood firm. In those sequences, Padilla functioned as Athletic’s support beam, holding the scoreline in place while the visitors continued to build momentum.

A flashpoint before half-time: the penalty appeal

As the first half moved toward its conclusion, a moment arrived that shifted the emotional temperature of the derby. In the 44th minute, a shot by Caleta-Car struck Laporte’s hands inside the area. Real Sociedad players immediately protested, convinced they had been denied a penalty. The incident was reviewed, but the VAR official, Melero López, judged that it was not a spot-kick. The referee, Sánchez Martínez, did not go to the pitch-side monitor to check the action himself.

The decision left Real Sociedad frustrated as they went into the break, feeling they had been wronged in a key situation. The narrative of grievance was heightened by the reference to a recent league derby in which Real Sociedad finished with ten men after Brais Méndez was sent off. Whether those earlier events influenced the mood or not, the immediate impact in Bilbao was clear: the visitors returned for the second half with their intensity sharpened rather than dulled.

Second-half pressure: more saves, a post, and Athletic on the ropes

Real Sociedad began the second half with the same objective: to take control of the tie rather than merely survive the first leg. The pattern quickly resumed, with the visitors finding ways through and around Athletic’s defensive lines. Again, Padilla stood in the way. One of the clearest moments came when his hand denied Mikel Oyarzabal, preventing the captain from turning another promising move into a goal.

Then came another near miss that underlined how close Real Sociedad were to pulling away. Pablo Marín, with the situation seemingly in his favour, hit the post. The combination of Padilla’s saves and the woodwork kept Athletic within reach, but the overall picture was of a home side struggling to steady itself. The description of Athletic as “grogui” captured the sense of a team absorbing blow after blow without landing a meaningful response.

Valverde reacted decisively, introducing four substitutions at once in search of a spark. It was a move aimed at changing the rhythm and forcing a shift in momentum. Yet the immediate flow of the match did not swing the other way. If anything, Real Sociedad continued to look the more threatening, with Guedes increasingly central to the visitors’ attacking sequences.

Guedes at the heart of the decisive move

Guedes’ involvement came in waves. One driving run ended with the Portuguese attacker on the ground, only for Sánchez Martínez to book him for simulation. Moments later, Guedes tried again, this time with a shot that drifted narrowly wide. The persistence mattered, because the third key action involving him would finally break Athletic’s resistance.

The goal was crafted through a combination of invention and timing. Soler produced a pass that, as described, only he and Guedes seemed to see. Guedes lifted the ball over the onrushing Padilla, turning the goalkeeper’s advanced position into an opportunity. The move still required a final touch, and it arrived through Beñat Turrientes, who finished with a sense of urgency and commitment, pushing the ball into the net.

Turrientes’ moment and a player revived

Turrientes’ goal carried weight beyond the immediate scoreline. The match account frames him as a player whose situation had been uncertain before Matarazzo’s arrival, with limited minutes leaving him closer to an exit than a central role. Under the current coach, however, he has found his best version. In Bilbao, he provided the clarity required in the decisive moment, converting the chance that the team’s pressure had earned.

It was also a goal that felt, in the terms used to describe the night, like justice. Real Sociedad had been superior in the key measures that decide matches — control, rhythm, and the number of clear opportunities — and yet had been held back by goalkeeping and misfortune. When the breakthrough arrived, it reflected the collective work behind it: the insistence to keep attacking, the talent to create a high-quality chance, and the belief to finish it.

What the first leg says about the tie

With the first leg played, the semi-final remains open, but the balance has shifted. Real Sociedad’s advantage is slim, yet the performance in Bilbao suggested a team capable of managing pressure and imposing itself in hostile conditions. San Mamés, often described as a near-impregnable territory, became the stage for a statement: Real Sociedad can play with personality there, and can leave with a result that changes the outlook of the tie.

The second leg at Anoeta will decide who reaches the final at La Cartuja. Real Sociedad’s task now is clear: to complete the job in front of their own supporters. The first leg offered more than a goal; it offered a sense of competitive and emotional progress, the feeling of a group that can absorb controversy, keep its head, and still find a way through.

Key moments at a glance

• Early dominance: Real Sociedad controlled long phases and created the clearest openings.
• Padilla’s resistance: Athletic’s cup goalkeeper made decisive saves to keep the score level.
• Penalty controversy (44’): A handball appeal involving Laporte was reviewed and rejected; the referee did not consult the monitor.
• Second-half pressure: Oyarzabal was denied by Padilla; Marín hit the post.
• Decisive goal: Soler’s pass and Guedes’ lift over the keeper set up Turrientes to finish.
• Next step: The tie will be resolved at Anoeta, with a place in the final at La Cartuja at stake.

A night of control, controversy, and conviction

In the end, Real Sociedad’s win in Bilbao was shaped by three themes: control, controversy and conviction. They controlled the match for long stretches, playing with a confidence that reflected their recent upward curve. They navigated a controversial refereeing decision that left them angry but not distracted. And they showed conviction, continuing to attack until the breakthrough arrived.

Turrientes’ goal may yet be remembered as the moment that tilted the semi-final. For now, it stands as the reward for a performance that, by the account of the match, deserved more than narrow margins. The margins, however, are what cup ties are built on — and Real Sociedad have given themselves the advantage to defend and extend when the semi-final resumes at Anoeta.