Real Madrid play their final game under Carlo Ancelotti on May 24, the La Liga game against Real Sociedad. The Santiago Bernabeu will stand and applaud the club legend, and it could be a classic game in the future for that reason.
Los Blancos have played three games against Sociedad this season, one in the league and a two-legged Copa del Rey semi-final. Real won two and drew one, with the first win making it 100 victories over Txuri-burden in their history.
The home side has lost just one of their last 12 meetings between the two. Here are five classic games between Real Madrid and Real Sociedad in La Liga.
Real Madrid extended their lead at the top of the La Liga table with a come-from-behind win over Real Sociedad. The visitors took the lead in the 10th minute, Mikel Oyarzabal converting from the penalty spot after David Silva was fouled. The first half looked to be drifting towards a deficit for Real before two quick-fire goals: Eduardo Camavinga (40') and Luka Modric (43').
The game continued to be tight before another two goals from Los Blancos sealed the win, the same as the first two, three minutes apart. Karim Benzema scored from the spot (76'), with substitute Lucas Vazquez (79') making it 4-1 and an eight-point lead at the top after Sevilla could only draw.
José Mourinho's side put five past Txuri-burden in the 2011-12 season. It took them five minutes to get the first goal, Gonzalo Higuaín with the goal. Cristiano Ronaldo (32') and Karim Benzema (40') made it 3-0 with the incoming head coach Xabi Alonso assisting the Frenchman.
Sociedad did pull one back before the half through Xabi Prieto. However, it was just a consolation as Ronaldo and Benzema made it a brace each and kept them six points in front of rivals Barcelona at the top.
The penultimate game of the 2012-13 season for Real came against Real Sociedad, where six goals were shared. The game saw just one goal in the first half, scored by Gonzalo Higuaín in the 6th minute. When José Callejón scored even minutes into the second half, it looked like three points for Los Blancos.
The home team roared back; Xabi Prieto (64') scored from the penalty spot before Antoine Griezmann (78') completed the fightback. However, two minutes later, Sami Khedira established the away team's lead, but Prieto and Sociedad were not done, scoring an equalizer in the third minute of stoppage time.
Another penultimate game against Real Sociedad that did not go as planned, this time under Zinédine Zidane during the 2018-19 season. Real Madrid took the lead in the 6th minute through forward Brahim Díaz. That was the best it got for the away team, with Mikel Merino equalizing before Jesús Vallejo handled on the line and received a straight red card. Thibaut Courtois did save the penalty from Willian Jose.
Joseba Zaldua (57') and Ander Barrenetxea (67') secured the three points for Sociedad. The result meant Real Madrid would finish third in the league table behind their two bitter rivals.
The fourth and last time Los Blancos hit the opposition in blue and white for five, mainly thanks to a Cristiano Ronaldo hat-trick. However, it was Lucas Vazquez who scored in the opening minute of the game. In ten minutes, the home team scored three goals to take the game away from the visitors: a Toni Kroos (34') strike wedged between a Ronaldo brace (27' & 37').
Jon Bautista (74') pulled on back, then Ronaldo completed the hat-trick six minutes later, the easiest of his three goals with a tap-in. Asier Illarramendi grabbed Real Sociedad's second to finish the scoring in a one-sided game.
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