Mbappe shines as 10-Man Real Madrid hold on for 2-1 victory at Real Sociedad

Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe and Dani Ceballos celebrate their second goal scored by teammate Arda Guler during their LaLiga match against Real Sociedad at Reale Arena, San Sebastian, Sept. 13, 2025. (Reuters)
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  • The visitors got off to a flying start with Mbappe opening the scoring from a quick counter in the 12th minute
  • Despite their numerical disadvantage, Real Madrid doubled their lead just before halftime

SAN SEBASTIAN, Spain: Kylian Mbappe scored and provided the assist for Arda Guler as Real Madrid weathered a second-half storm to beat Real Sociedad 2-1 on Saturday, maintaining their perfect LaLiga start despite playing most of the match with 10 men.
The visitors got off to a flying start with Mbappe opening the scoring from a quick counter in the 12th minute, but their task became significantly harder when defender Dean Huijsen was shown a straight red card after the half-hour mark for hauling down Mikel Oyarzabal as the last man.
Despite their numerical disadvantage, Real Madrid doubled their lead just before halftime when Guler scored from close range following a great run by Mbappe who brilliantly put the ball on a plate for the Turkish midfielder inside a crowded box.
Real Sociedad pulled one back with Mikel Oyarzabal from the penalty spot in the 56th minute after a handball by Dani Carvajal, but the visitors held on for a hard-fought victory that keeps them top of LaLiga with 12 points from four matches, three ahead of Athletic Bilbao who have a game in hand and host Alaves later on Saturday.
The defeat leaves winless Real Sociedad in 17th place with two points, just one spot above the relegation zone.