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

Real Sociedad set the tone early in Bilbao

Real Sociedad delivered a statement performance at San Mamés, taking a first-leg advantage in a Copa semi-final played at high intensity and under a charged atmosphere. With the memory of a recent league derby still fresh and the final at La Cartuja looming in the distance, the visitors approached the night with a clear intention: to control the match through their football and personality rather than be consumed by the occasion.

From the opening minutes, Real Sociedad looked comfortable assuming responsibility. They did not retreat into caution, and they did not appear intimidated by the setting. Instead, they played with the maturity of a side that believes it belongs in the decisive stages of major competitions, dominating significant stretches and repeatedly pushing Athletic back toward their own area.

The tie is not finished—there is still a return leg to come at Anoeta—but the first chapter in Bilbao suggested a team with both the competitive edge and emotional resilience required for knockout football. Real Sociedad’s advantage could prove decisive if they can reproduce the same level in front of their own supporters.

Matarazzo’s impact and a team still unbeaten in 2026

A major subplot to this semi-final was the transformation attributed to head coach Pellegrino Matarazzo. Real Sociedad, described as having been in a desperate state only a couple of months earlier, have been reshaped into a side now operating on the edge of a cup final. The team remains unbeaten in 2026, and the performance at San Mamés reinforced the idea that the change has been more than cosmetic.

In Bilbao, the match carried a strong “txuri urdin” imprint. Real Sociedad played with ambition and authority, and for long spells it felt as though they were setting the terms of the contest inside a stadium that is traditionally unforgiving for visiting teams. The only frustration for the visitors was that their dominance did not translate into a more comfortable margin. They created enough opportunities to consider a larger lead realistic.

Still, the key moment arrived through a player whose role has notably evolved. Beñat Turrientes, previously short of minutes and closer to leaving than staying before Matarazzo’s arrival, produced the goal that moved the tie in Real Sociedad’s favour. On a night where chances came and went, it was his clarity and conviction in front of goal that ultimately mattered.

Padilla’s saves keep Athletic alive as chances mount

Real Sociedad’s superiority was reflected not only in their overall rhythm but also in the volume and quality of their chances. Yet the scoreboard remained unchanged for much of the match, largely due to the performance of Athletic goalkeeper Álex Padilla. A backup in the league but selected by Ernesto Valverde for the Copa, Padilla emerged as an unexpected central figure, repeatedly denying the visitors when they seemed poised to score.

The sequence of opportunities began with a clear opening for Pablo Marín. After a strong pass from Guedes, Marín found himself with a chance that demanded a decisive intervention. Padilla reacted quickly, turning the effort away and forcing a corner. It was an early warning that Real Sociedad were arriving with intent and that Athletic would need their goalkeeper at his sharpest.

Not long after, Jon Martín tested Padilla again, this time with a well-directed header. The goalkeeper, described as being from Zarautz, managed to stop it as the ball struck his thigh. The save underlined his importance: while Athletic struggled to gain control, Padilla was preventing Real Sociedad’s better play from becoming a tangible advantage.

As the first half progressed, the pattern held. Real Sociedad were more fluent, more assertive, and more productive in the final third. Athletic, meanwhile, were being forced into defensive work, with their goalkeeper acting as the key reason the tie remained level.

The late first-half handball appeal and VAR decision

The emotional temperature of the match rose sharply just before the break. In the 44th minute, a shot by Caleta-Car struck Laporte’s hands inside the penalty area, prompting immediate and loud protests from Real Sociedad players. The incident was reviewed, but the VAR official, Melero López, judged it not to be a penalty.

Notably, the referee on the field, Sánchez Martínez, did not go to the pitchside monitor to review the action himself. That detail became part of the frustration for the visitors, who went into half-time feeling that a pivotal decision had gone against them.

The sense of grievance was heightened by context. Real Sociedad felt they had recently been harmed by a key refereeing moment in the league derby, where they ended the match with ten men following the dismissal of Brais Méndez. In Bilbao, the unresolved handball appeal added another layer of tension to an already combustible derby atmosphere.

Second-half pressure: more Padilla, and the post denies Marín

Real Sociedad returned from the dressing room with the same determination to seize control of the tie. Their approach did not change: they continued to push forward, searching for the goal their performance suggested was coming. Again, they ran into two obstacles—Padilla and the woodwork.

Padilla produced another important stop to deny Mikel Oyarzabal, reinforcing the sense that Athletic’s survival depended heavily on their goalkeeper’s reflexes and positioning. Shortly after, Pablo Marín came close again, this time with the goal seemingly in reach, only to see his effort strike the post. It was the kind of moment that can swing a semi-final: a few centimetres one way and the match could have opened up dramatically.

Despite those near misses, Real Sociedad’s posture remained aggressive and composed. They continued to press their advantage and looked more likely to score than Athletic were to turn the momentum.

Valverde’s four changes and a match still slipping away

With Athletic struggling to find a foothold, Valverde responded decisively, introducing four substitutions at once in search of a reaction. The scale of the changes reflected the urgency of the situation and how uncomfortable Athletic had been for extended periods.

However, the expected shift did not materialise. If anything, Real Sociedad continued to generate the clearer moments. Athletic were described as “groggy,” and the match remained tilted toward the visitors, who kept probing for the breakthrough that would reward their insistence.

Guedes at the centre of the key sequence

Guedes played a prominent role in the attacking sequences that ultimately led to the decisive goal. One of his runs ended with him on the ground, and Sánchez Martínez booked Real Sociedad’s number 11 for simulation. The decision added another point of contention, but it did not derail Real Sociedad’s focus.

Almost immediately afterward, Guedes threatened again with a shot that went narrowly wide. It was a sign of a player increasingly involved and increasingly dangerous, even as the match became more fractious.

The third major moment with Guedes as the protagonist proved decisive. This time, the move began with a pass from Soler—an inventive ball described as something only he saw. The pass released Guedes, who lifted the ball over the advancing Padilla. In the crucial instant that followed, Turrientes arrived to finish with determination, sending the ball into the net.

The goal encapsulated the elements that had defined Real Sociedad’s night: persistence, collective talent, and the willingness to keep attacking even when decisions and missed chances could have undermined their composure.

Turrientes delivers a goal that could shape the tie

Turrientes’ finish was more than a simple scoring action; it was the culmination of Real Sociedad’s sustained superiority in play, tempo, and opportunities. After so many moments where Athletic had survived—through Padilla’s saves, through the post, and through disputed refereeing calls—the breakthrough felt like a form of sporting justice for the visitors’ overall performance.

It also highlighted Turrientes’ personal arc within the season. A player who had been short of minutes before Matarazzo’s arrival has now provided a potentially tie-defining contribution in a semi-final. In knockout football, such moments can alter careers as well as competitions.

Real Sociedad’s advantage, while not described as large, carries weight because it was earned in a stadium where visiting teams often struggle to impose themselves. The sense from this performance was that they could have scored more, but also that they maintained the balance required for a semi-final: ambition with control.

What the first leg suggests ahead of the return match

With the return leg set for Anoeta, Real Sociedad have positioned themselves strongly. The first match offered evidence of a side capable of managing pressure, responding to adversity, and sustaining a high level across long phases. They did not allow the atmosphere to dictate their decisions, and they did not lose their structure when frustration threatened to take over.

At the same time, Athletic remain in the tie. Padilla’s interventions ensured the deficit did not grow, and the second leg will offer a different context, with Real Sociedad now tasked with finishing the job in front of their own crowd. The semi-final is therefore poised between two realities: a first-leg performance that leaned clearly toward the visitors, and a return match where the margin for error will be small.

For Real Sociedad, the message from San Mamés is clear. They have already taken a meaningful step toward the final at La Cartuja, but the work is incomplete. The next challenge will be to convert this advantage into qualification, matching the authority shown in Bilbao with the composure required to close out a high-stakes tie.

Match highlights in brief

• Real Sociedad controlled large phases of the semi-final first leg at San Mamés and created the clearer chances.
• Athletic goalkeeper Álex Padilla made key saves, denying Pablo Marín, Jon Martín and later Mikel Oyarzabal.
• Real Sociedad appealed for a penalty after Caleta-Car’s shot hit Laporte’s hands, but VAR ruled no penalty and the referee did not review it on the monitor.
• Pablo Marín hit the post in the second half as Real Sociedad’s pressure continued.
• Valverde made four substitutions at once, but Athletic struggled to change the flow.
• Guedes was central to the decisive move, with Soler’s pass setting up the sequence that ended with Beñat Turrientes scoring.