Real Sociedad 0 - Villarreal 2

Real Sociedad: Alberto; Fuentes, Corino, Pikabea, López Rekarte; Tayfun, Khokhlov; Rubén Vega (Sergio Francisco 70'), Idiakez (De Pedro 70'), Aranzábal; De Paula. 4-2-3-1.
Villarreal: Unanua, Xavi Roca, Quique Alvarez, Unai, Berruet, Arruabarrena; Amor Javier Gracia (Jorge López 57'), Cagna; Víctor (Calleja 89'), Bruno Marioni (Craioveanu 67'). 5-3-2.

Team changes: Real: Khokhlov, Idiakez, Aranzábal, De Paula for Aranburu, Jauregui, Gabilondo, Jankauskas / Villarreal: Unanua, Berruet, Gracia for López Vallejo, Jorge López, Calleja.

Goals:
0-1. 21. Unai. Blasted ball past keeper after short free kick from Marioni.
0-2. 88. Jorge López. Combined with Víctor to beat keeper.

Real Sociedad hit rock bottom once again, but this time the problem appears to be deep rooted with management ready to leave the sinking ship. Club president Luis Uranga has already announced that he will be standing down in March and calling elections, and speculation is now rife as to whether he can even last that long. The continuing string of bad results, culminating in a week where they were eliminated from the Spanish cup by second division B side Beasain and then lost this match at home, has also put pressure on team manager Periko Alonso, himself a replacement earlier in the season for Javier Clemente, and another bad result could also see another change there. The Real fans, normally a patient bunch, booed their team on to the pitch at the beginning, and at the end of the game the few who had stayed on threw anything they could find at their players.

Periko has tried everything since arriving, and this time he made four more changes, with Jankauskas failing a late fitness test and De Pedro, still not fully recovered from a knock, left on the bench. Víctor Muñoz made his usual modifications in the Villarreal side, preferring a more defensive 5-3-2 formation away from home, and he was also forced to change his keeper, the accident prone López Vallejo once again injuring himself in training the day before the match.They had the best of the early minutes, and after Cagna had tested Alberto and Marioni had shot wide when presented with a good chance, Unai stepped up to hammer a free kick through the wall and past the unsighted keeper. The only real reply from the San Sebastian side in the first half was an effort from Vega which Unanua saved, diving at the midfielder's feet.

Shortly after the break referee Rodríguez Santiago disallowed a goal from De Paula for offside, and a frustrated Alonso made a double change, putting on De Pedro and youngster Sergio Francisco. De Pedro revitalised his side, and after De Pedro shot just over the bar, Unanua had to save from a De Paula header. But Villarreal broke out of their half for the first time in the second 45 minutes, and Víctor put substitute Jorge López through for him to score his third in two games with a chip over the advancing keeper. It was enough to give his team their second away victory in a row and take them up to the dizzy heights of eighth in the table. With Basque neighbours Osasuna winning, Real drop to last place, and names are already being mentioned as possible new managers. One of those is John Toshack, who still has a house in the area. They need something now, but even he can't walk on water. Or can he?