Eibar slip to 3-1 away defeat in Guipuzcoan derby
Despite making a bright start, the Armeros were unable to stop the Txuri-urdin in their tracks
Eibar fell to a 3-1 defeat at Real Sociedad in a Guipuzcoan derby which became an uphill struggle for the Armeros after they found themselves a goal down early on.
The game began with Eibar attempting to apply a high press and prevent the hosts from playing out from the back. The Armeros' hounding resulted in José Luis Mendilibar's charges being the first to pose any sort of threat on the opposition's goal.
However, Real Sociedad it was who got their noses in front when Willian José nodded home an inch-perfect cross from the right.
After taking the lead, La Real enjoyed their best spell of the game, with the home side fashioning several clear-cut openings on Marko Dmitrović's goal. Adnan Januzaj duly doubled the hosts' lead after Xabi Prieto's pass laid the chance on a plate for him. La Real took a 2-0 lead into the break.
After the restart, a mistake in the Armeros' backline allowed Mikel Oyarzabal to score a third and put the result beyond all doubt right at the start of the second period. From then on, Eibar looked to boss possession and make inroads on the home side's area. Bebé and Imanol Sarriegi, who was making his Primera División debut, entered the fray in place of Alejandro Gálvez and Kike García in an effort to offer the visitors a greater penetration in the middle third.
With 72 minutes on the clock, Joan Jordán reduced the arrears when he collected a Cote pass from the left and unleashed a perfectly-struck left-footed effort that found the far corner. Eibar kept pushing in the final stages but a second goal, which would have kept hopes of a comeback alive, failed to materialise.