As in all aspects of life, in football it’s also a good idea to start the year off on the right foot. Having the nougat undigested in the first game of the year is a bittersweet feeling, which can ultimately punish the team at the end of the season. So a win in El Toralín this Sunday is a must. Fortunately, Real Sociedad showed that it is not shrinking in the first few meters of January’s slope and is a team that returns from Christmas with its batteries fully charged. Since being promoted to the First Division in the 2010/11 season, the blue and white team has had more wins than losses and draws. In total, they have recorded six wins, four losses and three draws in the opening matches of the year.
Furthermore, some victories were against top teams, such as Barcelona, Real Madrid or Athletic. The three points achieved at home by the Whites in the 2018/19 season calmed the waters after the tsunami that occurred at Real following the dismissal of Garitano on December 26 of last year. Imanol took the reins for the second time to guide the ship Txuri Urdin and added his first victory in this second stage. This is the starting signal for a successful phase that still lasts. True to his style, the man from Oriola managed to dip the white liner with the home players, he even gave a debut to a youngster Aihen Muñoz. The objectives of William Joseph and Ruben Pardo They gave a break to a Real team that was three points away from relegation. Txuri Urdin also knows how to open the calendar by defeating the eternal rival of the Merengues. On January 4, 2015, those, at that time, were trained by David Moyes They beat Luis Enrique’s team at home with a solitary own goal from Jordi Alba as soon as the match started. Poor results led to Real dismissing the former United player in November of that year.
A derby to open the year
A year before, the Gipuzkoans also opened the sweet calendar. They did it at home in a derby. The one in Jagoba Arrasate They won the game against the Ernesto Valverde thanks to the goals of Antoine Griezmann and Ruben Pardo. That victory served to shorten the distance to the rojiblancos, who occupied fourth place in the table, although at the end of the season the txuri urdin were left out of the Champions League, occupying seventh place and those from Biscay got of the ticket at the highest. continental competition. Other victories obtained were against Logroñés last year in the Cup (0-1), Villarreal in 2016/17 (3-1) and Mallorca in 2011/2012 (2-0).
The blue and white haven’t lost the first game of the year in five years. The last one came on January 5, 2020 against Villarreal. The yellow submarine, which is four places below, has returned from the first objective of William Joseph with two goals, one from Trigueros from Penalty and another from Cazorla with 18 minutes left. The same thing happened on January 7, 2018, when Leganés won at home in the lowest with a goal from Pires.
A bittersweet hat trick
Six years before the conquest of Chamartín (2013), Txuri Urdin played another game against the white team, although this time they did not have the same luck. The men of Philippe Montanier They surrendered to the white machine in an exciting match, in which there were seven goals (4-3). Xabi Prieto He was the best of the Gipuzkoans and took the ball home after achieving a bitter hat trick. Another defeat that Txuri Urdin added to the list was in 2011, when the newly promoted San Sebastian team fell at home to Zaragoza 2-1.
Two draws against Alavés
The Donostiarras opened the calendar by adding a point on four occasions. The most recent draw was last year, when Imanol Alguacil’s side drew 1-1 at home against Alavés. The match was marked by the dismissal of goalkeeper Remiro for catching the ball with his hands outside the area when the rival striker was standing alone in front of the goal. Playing one down was a burden that weighed on the team for the rest of the game and Luis Rioja got the long-awaited goal in the 76th minute. The people of San Sebastián rose from the blow and Martin Zubimendi He tied the game before the bell.
This was not the only time they saw faces with the babazorro team in the debut of the year. In 2022 the stars were the same and the score ended in another 1-1. This time the royalists were first on the scoreboard with a goal from Adnan Januzaj and Joselu He leveled the score with a goal from eleven meters. This time the royalists were first on the scoreboard with a goal from Adnan Januzaj and the Galician striker He leveled the score with a goal from eleven meters.
A year before the result was the same, but this time one of the main actors changed. A needy Osasuna in the relegation places visited Donostia with the obligation to add three, but in the end the rojillos and the royalistas shared the points. Callery exceeded those of Jagoba Arrasate in the 20th minute, but on the way back from the locker room Ander Barrenetxea William José took advantage of the extension and beat it Sergio Herrera. The first draw in the debut year after promotion took place at home to Rayo (2-2) in January 2016
Source: La Verdad
I am Shawn Partain, a journalist and content creator working for the Today Times Live. I specialize in sports journalism, writing articles that cover major sporting events and news stories. With a passion for storytelling and an eye for detail, I strive to be accurate and insightful in my work.
