Alavés 0 - Real Sociedad 1

Alavés: Herrera; Contra, Karmona, Eggen, Téllez (Mario 60'), Geli; Tomic, Desio, Pablo (Magno 46'); Jordi Cruyff,; Javi Moreno (Iván Alonso 75'). 5-3-2.
Real Sociedad: Alberto; Fuentes, Corino, Pikabea, Aranzábal; Jauregui, Aranburu; López Rekarte (Khokhlov 68'), Idiakez, Gabilondo (De Pedro 77'); Jankauskas (De Paula 58'). 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Alavés: None / Real: Corino, López Rekarte, Gabilondo for Gurrutxaga, Khokhlov, De Pedro.

Goals:
0-1. 55. Jauregui. Got ahead of defender to slide Idiakez free kick low past keeper.

A dour Basque derby ended up with a narrow victory for Real Sociedad, their first win under new manager Periko Alonso. Alonso decided to play Alavés at their own game, declaring in the newspapers before the match that he admired their style and wanted to change from Clemente's varied approach to a more settled defensive type of football. The result was an over-booking in midfield, with both teams dedicated to closing down the play of their opponents rather than creating their own. Alavés manager Mané opted to keep his five man defence, with the tall Eggen included in order to shadow Jankauskas in the aerial attacks. Alonso picked a line up including ten Basque players, with three of Clemente's foreign signings, Peiremans, Tayfun and Collet all injured and Arif currently in Turkey negotiating his return home.

The first half was fairly even, with both defences doing enough to save their keepers too much work. After the break Mané replaced the injured Pablo with Magno to add more force to his attack, but his team went behind a few minutes later when Jauregui slid home a set piece free kick from Idiakez. Mario came on for a defender, Téllez, but that only opened up more space at the back, and Idiakez almost beat Herrera on a couple of occasions. Javi Moreno for once was under control, and Alavés threw on Iván Alonso, and the Argentinian striker was unlucky not to be awarded a penalty went Juanmi went in with his foot up and connected his studs with the player's groin. Referee Andrades Asurmendi gave the substitute a yellow card for play acting, but if he had looked closer he would have seen that the tears in Alonso's eyes were genuine.

The result is a set-back for Alavés, who lost out on the opportunity to go level with Deportivo in second place. Real Sociedad recorded their second win of the season, both of them away, and although they are still in the relegation zone, they are only a point away from Valladolid in twelfth position. After the game there were scuffles between the two sets of supporters and police, although there was nothing serious to report in the end.