LaLiga: Real Sociedad Defeat Betis 2-0 to Consolidate Top-Half Position in LaLiga

Real Sociedad secured a 2-0 victory over Real Betis in LaLiga, extending their unbeaten run against Los Verdiblancos to five matches and moving up the table.

Real Sociedad bounced back from their disappointing derby loss to Athletic Club last weekend, securing a hard-fought 2-0 victory over Real Betis in LaLiga. This win marked Real Sociedad's third consecutive home victory, propelling them into the top half of the league table.

The victory was a much-needed response to their recent domestic struggles, and it demonstrated Real Sociedad's ability to adapt and respond to adversity. Despite their midweek triumph over Ajax, Real Sociedad's focus was squarely on getting back on track in LaLiga, and they achieved that goal with a solid performance against Real Betis. The loss, meanwhile, extended Real Betis' winless league run to four matches.

Real Sociedad made a dream start to the match, taking the lead within 15 minutes without even registering a shot on goal. Ander Barrenetxea initiated the move, finding Aihen Munoz on the left flank. Munoz's low cross caught Betis goalkeeper Rui Silva off guard, and in a desperate attempt to clear the ball, Diego Llorente inadvertently diverted it into his own goal.

The visitors struggled to respond, mustering only a few harmless attempts that sailed over the crossbar. Real Sociedad, on the other hand, continued to press their advantage. Just before the half-hour mark, referee Francisco Jose Hernández Maeso awarded a penalty to the home side after a lengthy VAR check. The infraction occurred when Romain Perraud fouled Mikel Oyarzabal, who subsequently dusted himself off and calmly rolled the spot-kick past Silva for his third goal of the season. The Betis goalkeeper's half almost took a turn for the worse when he was caught in possession by Brais Mendez, but Mendez was unable to pick out a teammate in a scoring position.

Given Real Sociedad's defensive solidity, with only three of their last 20 league matches seeing both teams score, the prospects of a Betis comeback seemed bleak heading into the second half. Despite having found the net in each of their previous nine games, Betis struggled to test Alex Remiro in the Sociedad goal, with their first meaningful attempt coming after the hour mark, when Jesus Rodriguez's header was comfortably caught by Remiro.

As the match entered its final 20 minutes, Betis began to push for a goal, but their efforts were in vain. Cedric Bakambu's header from Giovani Lo Celso's free-kick sailed just over the bar, while Umar Sadiq's strike from a tight angle struck the side netting. Notably, Sadiq's attempt was Real Sociedad's only shot on goal in the second half, aside from the penalty. Despite this, Imanol Alguacil's team had done enough to secure the win and extend their unbeaten run against Betis to five matches.