Oyarzabal rises into Real Sociedad pantheon after Celta win | OneFootball

Mikel Oyarzabal delivered a show of resilience and leadership in Real Sociedad’s win over Celta Vigo at Anoeta, guiding a side that played the entire second half with ten men.

As reported by AS, the captain’s tactical maturity underpinned the result and even drew admiration from the visiting bench.

Celta coach Claudio Giráldez told him he had produced an exhibition and a standout performance, calling him the support his team needed, intelligent anywhere on the pitch and a spectacle to watch.

The display followed his decisive strike against Barcelona a week earlier, reinforcing exceptional early-2026 form under Pellegrino Matarazzo.

His career has been defined by resilience since tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee on 17 March 2022, then returning to peak levels with the instinct that delivered the 2021 Copa del Rey penalty and a goal that secured a European Championship. Now 28, he is a key voice in the dressing room and a trusted option for Luis de la Fuente.

After scoring against Celta, Oyarzabal reached 93 LaLiga goals, moving past Darko Kovacevic on 92 to become the club’s third-highest top-flight scorer. He is chasing López Ufarte on 101 and Satrustegui on 133. In the 2025-26 campaign he has eight league goals, and he said he hopes there are more to help the team and that he is happy to keep adding.

Source: AS