Levante 2 - Real Sociedad 1

Levante: Mora; Descarga (Rubiales 46'), Jesule, Alexis, Pinillos; Celestini, Rivera; Ettien, Juanma, Nacho (Camacho 80'); Congo (Reggi 70'). 4-2-3-1.
Real Sociedad: Riesgo; López Rekarte, Luiz Alberto, Labaka, Garrido (Oskitz 79'); Alkiza, Mikel Alonso (Larrea 79'); Karpin, Nihat, Gabilondo (Rossato 79'); De Paula. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Levante: Descarga, Juanma, Nacho for Culebras, Jofre, Manchev / Real Sociedad: Karpin, Nihat, De Paula for Aranburu, Xabi Prieto, Kovacevic.

Goals:
1-0. 04. Nacho. Whipped ball into net after Riesgo failed to hold on to Ettien cross.
2-0. 47. Congo. Got on end of Nacho's cross to turn ball in on far post.
2-1. 53. Nihat. Struck free kick from 35 yards out into top corner of net.

Levante manager Bernd Schuster breathed a sigh of relief after his side beat Real Sociedad 2-1, their first victory in ten games. The first chance of the game fell to the visitors, Gabilondo failing to beat Mora, but only a minute later Nacho opened the scoring for the Valencia based side after Riesgo spilled Ettien's cross into his path. If anything, the Basques were the better side in the rest of an eventless first half, but they were unable to carve out one clear shot at goal, and found themselves further behind just two minutes after the restart when Nacho outsprinted Labaka to set up Congo.

Only Nihat was showing any form for the visitors, and he tested Mora with a free kick which the keeper turned on to the post. And a few minutes later he went one better when he found the top corner of the net with another dead ball kick. That was it though, despite a triple substitution by Amorrortu ten minutes from the end which only served to unsettle his side and allow Reggi to go close to scoring a third. A poor display by Real, and they drop below their opponents in the table having not picked up a point in the three games following the Christmas break.