UEL: Real Sociedad Secures Spot in Europa League Last 16 with Convincing Win

Real Sociedad defeated FC Midtjylland 5-2 to advance to the UEFA Europa League last 16, winning the tie 7-3 on aggregate.

Real Sociedad secured a spot in the UEFA Europa League's round of 16 for the second time in three seasons, thanks to a convincing 5-2 win (7-3 aggregate) over FC Midtjylland at the Reale Arena. The Spanish side built on their 2-1 victory in Denmark last week, delivering another dominant performance.

As expected, Real Sociedad started strongly, having gained momentum from their first-leg win in Denmark. The hosts' aggressive approach paid off, as they scored five goals to overwhelm FC Midtjylland and advance to the competition's final 16.

Real Sociedad quickly shook off the disappointment of their 3-0 weekend loss to Betis, scoring within five minutes against FC Midtjylland. Ousmane Diao's under-hit pass to Mads Bech Sorensen led to Brais Mendez stealing the ball and netting the opener, just as he did in the first leg.

The Basque side maintained their pressure, doubling their lead in the 18th minute. A precise pass from Mikel Oyarzabal found Ander Barrenetxea, who rolled the ball across the area for Luka Sucic to tap in. It seemed like Midtjylland were in for a challenging night, but they unexpectedly pulled a goal back from the penalty spot.

The Danish side was awarded a penalty after Barrenetxea made contact with Denil Castillo inside the box. Adam Buksa took full advantage, firing the ball into the bottom-right corner after sending Alex Remiro the wrong way. In a stunning turn of events, Midtjylland leveled the score on the night just 15 minutes later.

Real Sociedad produce a 5-goal display 👏#UEL pic.twitter.com/ubDsR4PZem

— UEFA Europa League (@EuropaLeague) February 20, 2025

Pedro Bravo intercepted a misplaced pass from Mendez and found Dario Osorio via Buksa's flick-on. Osorio then smashed the ball in at the near post with the outside of his boot. However, Sociedad quickly regained their composure and retook the lead just before halftime.

Takefusa Kubo's corner was only partially cleared to the edge of the box, where Luka Sucic took one touch before blasting the ball beyond Lossl to restore Sociedad's lead.

Although the first half was a challenging act to follow, Aritz Elustondo had a notable opportunity to score, but unfortunately, he sent the ball marginally wide of the right-hand post from the edge of the box.

The match experienced a dramatic moment around the 70-minute mark when Dani Silva recklessly challenged Igor Zubeldia with his studs, retaliating for an earlier foul. While this incident wasn't the decisive factor, the penalty Sociedad earned a minute later proved crucial.

Mikel Oyarzabal was fouled by Juninho inside the box, and he subsequently stepped up to take the penalty. Oyarzabal confidently fired the ball into the far-left corner, beyond the reach of Lossl's desperate lunge.

With the game effectively over, Midtjylland suffered further disappointment as Arsen Zakharyan delivered a cross from the left flank, finding fellow substitute Orri Oskarsson, who scored from point-blank range, netting his fourth European goal.

Ultimately, Sociedad secured a comfortable home win in their European knockout tie, their first since the turn of the century. However, as a result, they will now face either Tottenham or Manchester United in the next round, both of which remain strong contenders for the Europa League title despite their underwhelming league performances.