Real Sociedad’s Offensive Surge Under Matarazzo

Real Sociedad has demonstrated a marked improvement in their offensive performance, scoring two or more goals in six of their last seven matches. Mikel Oyarzabal has been pivotal in this resurgence, netting five goals, alongside Gonçalo Guedes with three, and contributing two goals each from Brais Méndez and the returning Orri Óskarsson. Pellegrino Matarazzo appears to have resolved the goal-scoring issues that plagued the team in previous months under Imanol Alguacil and Sergio Francisco.

In Matarazzo’s debut, the team initially struggled to find the back of the net, managing only one goal from 18 shots despite the high volume of attempts. This trend continued in their second match against Getafe, where they scored once from 11 attempts until a second goal came from Aramburu shortly thereafter. However, their efficiency improved in the Copa del Rey, where they scored twice from nine attempts against Osasuna and clinched a 2-1 victory over Barcelona with just seven shots, compared to Barcelona’s 25. Additionally, they registered three goals from ten attempts in their match against Celta.

At San Mamés, the team faced challenges in generating scoring opportunities, converting only one of their eight shots. Yet, they quickly regained their effectiveness in Mendizorroza, netting three goals from 11 attempts, a statistic they replicated in their match against Elche.

The positive trend in Real Sociedad’s scoring and the corresponding luck in finding the net is encouraging. Notably, 17 of the goals scored in the eight matches under Matarazzo have come from their offensive players, whose contributions had been sorely missed: Oyarzabal (5), Guedes (4), Brais Méndez (2), Óskarsson (2), along with contributions from Aramburu, Turrientes, Zubeldia, and Sucic.