Portugal’s Gonçalo Guedes re-finding form in Spain despite Sociedad struggles [video] | OneFootball

Guedes after scoring against Girona (Image: Getty Images)

Real Sociedad fired manager Sergio Francisco this weekend, after Friday night’s 2-1 home defeat to Girona handed the Basque side their third consecutive La Liga defeat.

Yet amid Sociedad’s struggles, summer recruit Gonçalo Guedes has shown signs of recovering the form which made him a household name in Spanish football a few years ago with Valencia. Guedes scored the opening goal against Girona on Friday, putting his side ahead in the 35th minute having been deployed in a central position spearheading Sergio’s frontline.

Despite the team’s slump, Guedes’ strike made it three goals in his last six outings. His previous two goals were vital, putting Sociedad 2-1 up in victories over Athletic Club (3-2) and Osasuna (3-1) before the team’s drop-off. His versatility has also been on display, with Guedes regularly deployed on both the right and the left of the attack, as well as centrally.

With three goals from six games, Guedes is one of the more in-form players in front of goal across the league – a welcome boost as he looks to recover momentum in a career which has dwindled since he left Valencia for Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2022. Guedes struggled to make an impact in England, heading out on loans to Benfica and Villarreal before joining Sociedad in the summer for a modest fee of €4m potentially rising to €6m.

Without doubt, the best sustained football of Guedes’ career came at Valencia, where he spent five seasons following a disappointing high-profile €30m move to Paris Saint-Germain from Benfica at the age of 20. In Guedes’ last season at Valencia, he scored 13 goals in all competitions (11 in La Liga) before making the familiar journey taken by many Portuguese to Wolves.

Jon Ansetogi has taken temporary charge of Sociedad following Sergio’s departure. Former Italy international and ex-Juventus boss Thiago Motta is one of the names linked with the vacancy, along with American Pellegrino Matarazzo, who previously led Hoffenheim in Germany.

By Sean Gillen