Three takeaways from Real Sociedad 0-1 Real Madrid | OneFootball

Real Madrid took a huge step towards the final of the Copa del Rey through Wednesday night’s result over Real Sociedad at San Sebastian.

Taking to the field at Reale Arena for the first leg of the clash, the men in white took the lead in the first half via an Endrick strike and then pushed for the second goal.

As the game progressed, however, the hosts began mounting a strong fight back and even came close to equalizing on several occasions. It was, however, not meant to be as Los Blancos held on through the pressure.

Madrid Universal brings you three takeaways for Carlo Ancelotti from Real Sociedad 0-1 Real Madrid.

Lunin’s extraordinary display

It was always clear that rotation was one of Carlo Ancelotti’s top priorities for the Copa del Rey semifinal, especially with the game designed to be played over two legs.

Amongst the series of rotations the Italian coach planned for the night was resting Thibaut Courtois and handing Androy Lunin a start in his place and the Ukrainian star played out of his skin.

Guarding Los Blancos’ goal against an in-form Real Sociedad at home, the youngster did not have it easy by any measure as La Real attacked time and time again right from the get-go.

At no point in the game did Lunin look like Real Madrid’s backup goalkeeper as he produced save after save to keep his side in the game and wish the lead in hand.

In 90 minutes, he made a staggering six saves for the men in white including five saves from inside the box.

The quality of his blocks was elite as he even parried away 1v1 situations. If the men in white did not concede despite Real Sociedad dominating the second half, Lunin merits a bulk of the praise and it is safe to say that he deserves a more prominent role.

A mixed bag for the fringe stars

Endrick made the most of his chance. (Photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)

Ancelotti’s lineup against Imanol Alguacil’s side seemed overly bold at first as players including Federico Valverde, Luka Modric, Brahim Diaz, and Rodrygo did not feature in any capacity, let alone the starting lineup.

The big focus, thus, was on the fringe players who got a start on the night. Arda Guler and Endrick were the two players on whom the spotlight shone the brightest given their struggle for minutes.

Interestingly, however, both players had quite contrasting results on certain fronts while they were similar on many other accounts.

For starters, Endrick netted the only goal on the night with a smart finish past Alex Remiro in the opening half after Jude Bellingham found his perfectly timed run behind the defense. In fact, he had a very similar chance in the second half that he could not convert.

While his performance in front of the goal had splendid moments, Endrick otherwise looked largely disconnected from Real Madrid’s buildup and movements and it was clear that he was not on the same bandwidth.

Arda Guler also suffered the same fate, albeit with no goals to show or save his face. The Turkish star thus did not enjoy a great game as he simply never got going.

In the 84 minutes he was on the field, Guler completed just 21 passes, recorded one key pass, and won just five duels for Real Madrid. He too was disconnected from the buildup and never got on song.

Slender, but still a lead

Having the first leg away from home and the return fixture at the Santiago Bernabeu was always favorable for Los Blancos, and it is safe to say that the result last night only took them closer to their goal.

Playing the difficult iteration of the two games against La Real, Los Blancos pulled off a 1-0 win. While it may not have been dominant in any way, it does give them the edge ahead of the second leg.

The two teams will lock horns once more in early April and it is safe to say that all odds are now in Real Madrid’s favor, albeit only to a limited capacity.

Taking home a 1-0 lead on aggregate and with the crowd behind them at Santiago Bernabeu for the next installment, Carlo Ancelotti’s men will be confident of getting the job done.

It is critical, however, that they do not get ahead of themselves and stay grounded. After all, Real Sociedad showed what they are capable of tonight and it will not be an easy affair despite the men in white having a slight edge.