Real Sociedad 0-2 Mallorca: Darder Decides a Lopsided Game

AI-written review based on match data · How we make it

Real Sociedad lost 0-2 at home to Mallorca at the Reale Arena in Matchweek 31. Cyle Larin put the visitors ahead on 20 minutes and Sergi Darder doubled the lead two minutes after the break, with the score 0-1 at half-time. Sociedad lined up in a 4-2-3-1 and Mallorca in a 5-3-2. On the numbers it was the home side's game, yet the points went to the team with far less of the ball.

Sociedad had 65% possession, 520 passes at 84% accuracy, and took 15 shots to Mallorca's seven. They also won eight corners to two and had 11 shots inside the box against seven. Mallorca managed 282 passes at 72% accuracy on 35% of the ball. Sociedad controlled the tempo and territory, but that control produced few clear chances.

The issue was end product. Only four of Sociedad's 15 shots were on target and six were blocked, and Greif saved all four of those efforts. Expected goals were close, 0.7 for Sociedad and 0.52 for Mallorca. The visitors put three of their seven shots on target and scored twice, while Álex Remiro made one save at the other end.

Darder was central to the outcome. He set up Larin's opener, then scored the second from Dani Rodríguez's pass at 47 minutes. After that Greif's four saves protected the clean sheet. For Sociedad, Takefusa Kubo created four chances and Jon Martin had the highest rating in the side at 7.9, but none of it turned into a goal.

Sociedad's dominance of possession never turned into goals, and Mallorca's efficiency was the gap between the sides.