Real Sociedad lost a two-goal lead and a man at Elche, and Sucic won it in the last minute

Real Sociedad were two goals up at Elche inside half an hour on Monday night, a man down just after the hour, and pegged back to 2-2 by the 74th minute. Then Luka Sucic scored in the 90th. A game they had controlled, then thrown away, then been outnumbered in, finished 3-2 to the visitors.

Ochieng started it, Herrera doubled it

Job Ochieng put Real Sociedad ahead in the 11th minute and then set up Yangel Herrera for the second in the 32nd. The Kenyan forward was only moved up to the first team squad in August, and he has spent one evening at the Martinez Valero doing more damage than most of Elche’s own attack has managed all season.

Elche offered almost nothing before the break. They went in two down in front of 25,562 at home, having been outplayed by a side that turned up with one win from four and no obvious rhythm to speak of.

The red card changed everything in ten minutes

Jon Martin was sent off just after the hour and Elche were level within ten minutes of it. Thomas Lemar pulled one back in the 67th with a strike from range, and Fer Nino levelled in the 74th. For twenty minutes Elche were the team they have been trying to be since August, playing against ten and playing like they knew it.

That is the part Real Sociedad will look at hardest. Two goals and a whole first half of control, gone inside ten minutes of a sending off. A side that was beaten 4-1 at Real Madrid 12 days ago does not need many more lessons in how quickly it can lose hold of a match.

Sucic ends it

Elche did not get the third. Sucic did, in the 90th minute, and Real Sociedad saw out what was left with ten men. Winning a game you have just spent twenty minutes losing, while a man short, is not something most sides in the bottom half manage, and it is worth more than the three points suggest.

Where it leaves them

Real Sociedad move to seven points from five matches and sit ninth, with two wins, a draw and two defeats. Their goal difference is still negative at minus two, which tells you roughly how the season has gone: competitive, uneven, and nowhere near the top four.

Elche are 19th. One point from four games, five goals scored and twelve conceded, and no win yet. Monday was the closest they have come, and they had a two-goal deficit and an extra man to work with when they got there. Barcelona sit top on twelve points from four, Alaves are second on ten and Real Madrid third on nine, so the gap at the other end of the table is already the shape it usually is by Christmas.

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