Sučić Rescues Real Sociedad After Elche Fightback, Is This the Win They Needed?

ELCHE, Spain: Real Sociedad had already spent the opening weeks of the La Liga season learning how expensive missed chances and lost momentum can become.

At the Martínez Valero, they nearly received another brutal lesson.

Job Ochieng and Yangel Herrera gave Real Sociedad a 2-0 lead against Elche before Jon Martín was sent off in the 64th minute. The red card transformed the match almost immediately.

Thomas Lemar scored three minutes later.

Fer Niño equalized in the 74th minute.

Real Sociedad had gone from two goals clear to 2-2 with more than a quarter of an hour still to survive with 10 men.

Then Luka Sučić changed the meaning of the night.

The Croatian midfielder struck in the 90th minute to give Real Sociedad a dramatic 3-2 victory, lifting them to ninth in the post-match table and leaving Elche 19th despite the hosts producing more possession, more shots and more efforts on target.

This was not Real Sociedad’s cleanest performance of the season.

It may prove to be one of their most useful.

Pellegrino Matarazzo’s side had already shown they could control matches without finishing them. They had already shown they could compete for long periods and still leave empty-handed. Monday demanded something different.

They had to recover psychologically after losing a two-goal lead.

They had to do it with 10 players.

They had to find a winner when the match appeared to be moving entirely toward Elche.

Sučić did.

Elche vs Real Sociedad: Match at a Glance

Elche’s official match information confirms the fixture was the club’s fourth La Liga assignment of the season at the Martínez Valero, while La Liga’s official Real Sociedad schedule lists Atlético Madrid as their next league opponent.

Job Ochieng Needed Only 11 Minutes to Put Sociedad Ahead

Real Sociedad entered the match carrying one obvious attacking problem.

They were creating enough football to stay competitive without consistently converting it into goals.

Only four days earlier, they produced 17 shots and 11 corners against Celta Vigo and still drew 0-0.

The Sports Encounter’s analysis of that goalless draw focused on the gap between territorial pressure and actual finishing.

Against Elche, Ochieng removed that frustration early.

His 11th-minute goal allowed Sociedad to play from ahead rather than spend another hour trying to turn possession into the first breakthrough.

That matters for a team whose recent matches have repeatedly become more difficult the longer the first goal fails to arrive.

Ochieng Is Beginning to Look Like More Than a Rotation Option

The goal also strengthens Ochieng’s case for a larger role.

Real Sociedad have several established attacking names, including Mikel Oyarzabal, Gonçalo Guedes and Orri Óskarsson.

Young players earn trust differently.

They need to show that their movement and decision-making survive when the match carries real points rather than preseason experimentation.

Ochieng did that at the Martínez Valero.

Scoring the opener does not guarantee a permanent starting place.

It gives Matarazzo another reason to keep using him.

Yangel Herrera Made It 2-0 Before Elche Could Stabilize

Yangel Herrera doubled the lead in the 32nd minute.

For Real Sociedad, the goal appeared to create the exact type of match they had been missing.

Two goals from two different players.

A comfortable scoreboard.

Enough time remaining to manage possession rather than chase the game.

The importance of Herrera’s contribution goes beyond one finish.

Sociedad need goals from midfield because relying exclusively on forwards makes the attack easier to defend.

Herrera’s ability to arrive into scoring positions gives the team another route.

That was already visible in Sociedad’s recent home match against Celta, where he started as part of the midfield structure before being replaced in the second half.

Monday produced a much more tangible reward.

Real Sociedad Were Finally Turning Possession Into Goals

The first 45 minutes appeared to answer one of the questions that has followed Sociedad through August and early September.

Could they become more efficient?

Against Betis, the answer had been no.

Real Sociedad competed strongly but lost 1-0, a match covered in our report on Rodrigo Riquelme’s winner.

Against Real Madrid, they played well enough during the first half to reach the interval level before conceding three after the break.

The Sports Encounter’s analysis of the 4-1 defeat at the Bernabéu showed how quickly a strong performance can disappear when an opponent converts more ruthlessly.

Then came the 0-0 with Celta.

Seventeen shots.

No goal.

Elche initially looked like the correction.

Two first-half goals suggested the problem had finally moved in the right direction.

The second half created an entirely different test.

Jon Martín’s Red Card Changed Everything in Three Minutes

The decisive tactical event arrived in the 64th minute when Jon Martín was sent off.

A 2-0 lead usually gives the winning team control over risk.

A red card removes much of that freedom.

Suddenly, every defensive action becomes connected to the next one.

A fullback cannot press without knowing who covers behind him.

A midfielder cannot break forward without considering the space left in transition.

The center-backs have to defend a wider area.

Possession becomes harder to retain because one passing option has disappeared.

Elche immediately recognized the opening.

Three minutes later, Lemar scored.

Thomas Lemar Makes an Immediate Impact for Elche

Lemar had only recently joined the club and arrived at the match available after entering training with the squad days earlier.

Elche’s summer strategy was partly built around adding more established technical quality to a side that had struggled badly against Barcelona and then lost 3-2 at Racing Santander.

The Sports Encounter’s opening La Liga weekend review covered Elche’s 5-0 home defeat to Barcelona, a match that exposed how unforgiving the top level can become when defensive spacing disappears.

Monday gave Lemar his first major contribution.

His goal in the 67th minute did more than reduce the deficit.

It told Elche the game was still available.

The Red Card Gave Elche the Territory They Needed

Elche already finished the game with 58% possession.

Once Sociedad went down to 10, that territorial advantage became more dangerous.

The hosts could push wingbacks higher.

Midfielders could receive closer to the penalty area.

Second balls began returning toward the Sociedad box.

Every clearance created another attacking phase.

Lemar’s goal turned pressure into belief.

Fer Niño Completed the Comeback Seven Minutes Later

Elche needed only seven more minutes.

Fer Niño scored in the 74th minute to make it 2-2.

The timing made the situation particularly dangerous for Sociedad.

There was still enough time for Elche to chase a winner.

The home crowd had momentum.

Sociedad had lost its numerical advantage and its two-goal lead.

Psychologically, the match had reversed.

This is usually the point where the team that had been leading begins merely trying to survive.

Real Sociedad eventually did something harder.

They attacked again.

Elche’s Numbers Suggest the Comeback Was Not Accidental

Elche had more of the ball, completed 154 more passes and put eight shots on target.

Those numbers confirm the home side did enough attacking work to make the comeback credible.

The important point is that the statistics were shaped by the red card.

Sociedad’s 42% possession does not describe a team that simply arrived planning to defend.

The match state forced them there.

Luka Sučić’s 90th-Minute Winner Changes the Entire Story

Had the match ended 2-2, the analysis would have been uncomfortable for Real Sociedad.

A two-goal lead lost.

Another game without full reward.

Another night where encouraging football did not become three points.

Sučić prevented that conversation.

His 90th-minute goal changed the result from a collapse into a resilience story.

It also continued his personal influence against major opponents this season.

Sučić scored Sociedad’s goal at the Bernabéu during the 4-1 defeat against Real Madrid.

That night his finish briefly made the game 1-1 before Madrid pulled away after halftime.

Against Elche, his goal carried much greater consequence.

Why the Winner Matters Beyond Three Points

Late winners create more than movement in the table.

They change how teams remember difficult matches.

Real Sociedad will still review the red card and the defensive collapse that followed it.

They should.

But the players also leave knowing that losing control did not automatically mean losing the result.

That matters before a difficult run of fixtures.

Sociedad’s Finishing Problem Has Not Disappeared Completely

Three goals could make it tempting to declare the attacking issue solved.

That would be premature.

The Sports Encounter’s breakdown of the Celta draw showed a team producing 17 shots without enough quality in the final action.

Against Elche, Sociedad attempted only 12 shots but scored three.

That is an enormous swing in efficiency.

The truth probably lies somewhere between the two games.

Sociedad do not need 17 shots every week.

They need better chances and more players capable of taking them.

Ochieng, Herrera and Sučić provided exactly that distribution Monday.

Elche Have Now Lost Two Straight 3-2 Matches

The scoreline creates an unusual pattern.

Elche lost 3-2 at Racing Santander in their previous league match.

They have now lost 3-2 at home to Real Sociedad.

The two games unfolded differently.

At Racing, Elche fell three goals behind before Buba Sangaré and Fer Niño scored late to create hope.

Against Sociedad, they came back from 2-0 down to reach 2-2 before conceding in the 90th minute.

The official Elche fixture center confirms the Racing defeat preceded this Matchday 4 home fixture.

The common thread is worrying.

Elche are showing enough attacking quality to score twice.

They are still giving away too much before or after those goals.

Fer Niño Is Giving Elche Something to Build Around

Niño scored against Racing.

He scored again against Real Sociedad.

That gives Elche a forward producing goals even while results remain difficult.

For a team near the bottom, having a reliable penalty-area presence matters enormously.

Survival campaigns often turn on whether one striker can convert limited opportunities during poor stretches.

Niño is beginning to offer that.

The next requirement is making sure his goals carry points rather than merely reducing deficits.

Real Sociedad’s Early Season Has Been More Complicated Than Ninth Place Suggests

The post-match table moves Sociedad to ninth.

The route there has been uneven.

They lost narrowly to Betis.

They were beaten heavily by Real Madrid after competing well for much of the first half.

They defeated Espanyol.

They drew 0-0 with Celta despite controlling most of the attacking territory.

Now they have beaten Elche with 10 men.

The Sports Encounter’s Matchday 4 analysis through Sunday showed how quickly the early table has begun separating into teams converting strong moments and teams allowing them to disappear.

Sociedad nearly joined the second group.

Sučić kept them moving upward.

What Does the Win Mean Before Atlético Madrid?

This is where the result becomes particularly important.

Real Sociedad host Atlético Madrid next.

The official La Liga schedule lists that match for September 13, followed four days later by a Europa League home fixture against Bournemouth.

The calendar is about to become much harder.

Sociedad therefore needed points from Elche.

Not because Elche are insignificant.

Because Atlético and European competition create fewer forgiving opportunities.

Three points in Alicante give Matarazzo more margin entering that stretch.

European Football Will Test Sociedad’s Squad Depth Immediately

The upcoming Europa League schedule also changes how this victory should be viewed.

Rotation will become unavoidable.

Players such as Ochieng, Sučić and Jon Martín will therefore matter even more.

The established starting XI cannot play every domestic and European minute.

That makes Monday’s contributions particularly useful.

Ochieng scored.

Sučić won the game.

Martín’s red card created the opposite lesson.

All three moments give Matarazzo information before the schedule becomes more congested.

The Jon Martín Red Card Is the Part Sociedad Cannot Ignore

The victory should not erase the warning.

Real Sociedad were 2-0 ahead and in control.

One dismissal turned the game into chaos.

Red cards create structural problems, but strong teams still need mechanisms for protecting themselves immediately afterward.

Sociedad conceded three minutes after the sending-off.

They conceded again seven minutes later.

That is too fast.

There was almost no period of stabilization.

Against Atlético Madrid, the same sequence could be fatal.

Why Sociedad’s Reaction Was Better Than the Collapse Itself

There is a difference between excusing the collapse and valuing the response.

Sociedad should not be happy that a 2-0 lead disappeared.

They should be encouraged that the disappearance did not become defeat.

This distinction matters for teams trying to grow.

Confidence built only from easy wins is fragile.

Confidence built from recovering inside difficult matches tends to travel better.

Monday gave Sociedad one of those experiences.

Elche’s 58% Possession Deserves Context

Elche’s possession number is impressive.

It is also affected by game state.

Sociedad led from the 11th minute and played with 10 men from the 64th.

That naturally pushed possession toward the hosts.

The more useful attacking statistic is eight shots on target.

Elche did not simply recycle the ball.

They threatened the goal.

That should encourage Martín Anselmi.

The problem is defensive reliability.

Elche Are 19th, but the Attack Is Showing Signs of Life

League position creates urgency quickly.

Nineteenth after four matches is not a season-ending crisis.

It is a warning.

Elche have already faced Barcelona and Real Sociedad, two opponents with European-level quality.

The opening schedule has therefore been demanding.

The Sports Encounter’s opening-weekend coverage documented how Barcelona overwhelmed them 5-0.

The last two matches look different.

Elche have scored four goals.

They have taken zero points.

That is the part that needs fixing.

The Result Completes a Chaotic La Liga Matchday 4

Monday’s late drama adds another extraordinary result to a round already full of them.

Barcelona scored five at Valencia.

Real Betis ended Real Madrid’s perfect start.

Deportivo Alavés moved second.

Athletic Club beat Atlético Madrid 3-0.

Deportivo La Coruña produced another comeback.

Getafe and Celta drew 1-1 earlier Monday after Getafe finished with 10 men.

Our full Matchday 4 weekend analysis captured the first wave of those shifts.

Elche-Sociedad supplied the final dramatic chapter.

La Liga Is Already Punishing Teams That Cannot Control Momentum

That theme has appeared repeatedly this season.

Celta lost a lead against Osasuna after Marcos Alonso was sent off.

The Sports Encounter’s analysis of that match showed how quickly numerical disadvantage can change the shape of a game.

Real Sociedad experienced the same danger at Elche.

The difference is that they found a final response.

That single difference turned one point into three.

Sučić Is Becoming One of Sociedad’s Most Important Pressure Players

Goals at the Bernabéu and Martínez Valero do not happen in low-pressure situations.

Sučić is beginning to show an ability to influence matches when the emotional stakes rise.

That does not make him Sociedad’s most important player.

Oyarzabal still carries enormous attacking responsibility.

Remiro remains central in goal.

Herrera gives midfield experience.

But Sučić is becoming a player opponents cannot ignore around the edge of the area.

That is a useful development for a team trying to diversify its scoring.

Real Sociedad Need More Wins Like This, but Fewer Matches Like This

That may be the cleanest way to summarize the night.

The mentality was encouraging.

The control was not.

Going 2-0 ahead away from home should usually simplify the final hour.

Sociedad instead created a situation where they needed a 90th-minute goal simply to recover the three points they had already been holding.

Winning anyway matters.

Repeating the circumstances would be dangerous.

TSE Analysis: Is Sučić’s Winner a Turning Point for Real Sociedad?

It can be.

That does not mean one late goal suddenly solves every early-season problem.

Sociedad still need more consistent finishing.

They still need better game management after momentum changes.

Jon Martín’s red card cannot be dismissed because the team eventually won.

There are also broader questions around how quickly Matarazzo can create a stable attacking identity before Europa League matches begin.

But turning points rarely arrive as perfect performances.

Sometimes they arrive as ugly wins that change how a squad views itself.

Real Sociedad had every reason to lose confidence after Elche made it 2-2.

They had surrendered a two-goal lead.

They were down to 10.

The home crowd had completely changed the emotional balance of the match.

Sociedad still found the next goal.

That matters.

Their previous difficult games had often produced the opposite feeling.

Against Betis, competitive football produced defeat.

Against Madrid, a strong first half produced a heavy loss.

Against Celta, 17 shots produced nothing.

Against Elche, the scoreboard finally moved in their favor when the match was at its most uncomfortable.

That is why Sučić’s winner should be remembered for more than making the score 3-2.

It gives Sociedad a result they can carry into Atlético Madrid and the Europa League.

Whether it becomes a genuine turning point depends on what happens next.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was the Elche vs Real Sociedad score?

Real Sociedad defeated Elche 3-2 at the Martínez Valero.

Who scored for Real Sociedad against Elche?

Job Ochieng scored in the 11th minute, Yangel Herrera in the 32nd and Luka Sučić struck the winner in the 90th minute.

Who scored for Elche?

Thomas Lemar scored in the 67th minute and Fer Niño equalized in the 74th.

Who was sent off for Real Sociedad?

Jon Martín received a red card in the 64th minute.

Did Elche come back from 2-0 down?

Yes. Elche recovered from 2-0 down to make it 2-2 after Real Sociedad were reduced to 10 men, but Sučić scored the late winner.

How many shots did Elche have?

Elche attempted 15 shots and put eight on target.

How many shots did Real Sociedad have?

Real Sociedad attempted 12 shots and put six on target.

Who had more possession?

Elche finished with 58% possession compared with Real Sociedad’s 42%.

Where are Real Sociedad in La Liga after the win?

Real Sociedad moved to ninth in the post-match standings.

Where are Elche in the table?

Elche were shown in 19th place following the defeat.

Who do Real Sociedad play next?

Real Sociedad host Atlético Madrid on September 13 before beginning their Europa League campaign against Bournemouth on September 17.