Vinicius Jr Steals the Show as Real Madrid Dominates Real Sociedad in Mbappe's Absence

Real Madrid continued their impressive La Liga run with an eighth consecutive victory, crushing Real Sociedad 4–1 in Saturday's evening clash.

The European giants dominated proceedings from kickoff, maintaining their superiority despite Kylian Mbappé being sidelined with a knee problem. Trent Alexander-Arnold set up Gonzalo García for the opener within five minutes, setting the tone for Los Blancos' commanding display.

Mikel Oyarzabal briefly restored parity for Real Sociedad from the penalty spot, but Real Madrid's superiority couldn't be contained, spearheaded by Vinicius Junior's outstanding showing. The Brazilian earned and successfully converted two spot-kicks for a double, while Federico Valverde added to the tally with a beautiful curled effort from outside the area.

This triumph places Álvaro Arbeloa's squad at the summit of La Liga temporarily, ahead of Barcelona's Monday night encounter with Girona.

One Thing We Can't Ignore

One Thing We Can't Ignore

Trent Alexander-Arnold needed just five minutes to announce his return on Saturday evening. The English defender earned his first start since sustaining a hamstring problem on December 3rd and appeared refreshed from the first whistle, indicating what was to follow.

When the moment presented itself, Alexander-Arnold delivered a perfect, signature cross from the right wing with ideal curve and pace to locate Gonzalo's run into the penalty area. The forward required just one touch to guide the ball into the bottom left corner, giving Real Madrid an early advantage.

The assist marked only the start of Alexander-Arnold's influence. The 27-year-old produced one exceptional pass after another, seamlessly switching play across the field, finding attacking teammates, or initiating moves from deep positions. In merely 60 minutes, he recorded an assist, completed eight precise long passes, and created two scoring opportunities.

For the first time in ages, Real Madrid posed equal threat down both flanks, entirely due to Alexander-Arnold's impact. The fullback enabled the hosts to stretch play horizontally, creating spaces for continuous exploitation—serving notice to future Los Blancos adversaries.

Real Madrid Player Ratings vs. Real Sociedad (4-4-2)

Real Madrid Player Ratings vs. Real Sociedad (4-4-2)

*Ratings Provided by FotMob*

GK: Thibaut Courtois—7.2: Rarely tested, but produced two excellent saves after the hour mark to prevent Real Sociedad from scoring what appeared to be certain goals.

RB: Trent Alexander-Arnold—7.7: Absolutely brilliant. Showed no indication of match fitness issues following his extended absence and produced a masterclass down the right side, highlighted by his assist for the opening strike.

CB: Antonio Rüdiger—6.6: Solid in his first appearance since the Spanish Super Cup semifinals. Didn't need to overwork due to his team's control.

CB: Dean Huijsen—6.8: Another challenging evening for the young center-back. Made a poorly judged challenge in his own penalty area to concede a spot-kick. Still appears uncertain and overwhelmed when not in possession.

LB: Álvaro Carreras—8.1: Defensively solid throughout and provided Valverde's assist to contribute offensively for the second straight match. Among the most reliable, steady performers in the squad.

RM: Federico Valverde—8.3: Scored a spectacular goal from distance that would have impressed Toni Kroos. Finally appeared settled back in his midfield role, bringing relief to Real Madrid.

CM: Arda Güler—7.2: A subdued performance from the Turkish talent, whose excellent dead-ball skills weren't required. Attempted several ambitious long-range efforts and missed a promising counter-attacking opportunity late on.

CM: Aurélien Tchouaméni—7.6: Earned a well-deserved standing ovation upon substitution. Misplaced just two passes, completed four tackles, and delivered four long balls in a comprehensive display.

LM: Eduardo Camavinga—7.3: Not his strongest defensive showing. Very lucky to escape booking after several mistimed challenges in succession. Compensated with positive attacking contributions.

ST: Gonzalo García—7,7: Netted within five minutes but will regret missing an excellent opportunity before halftime. Also saw another chance cleared from the goal line in the 70th minute.

ST: Vinicius Junior—9.3: Delivered a spectacular performance. Earned two penalties through mesmerizing dribbling in the box and converted both for his first brace since October. Played with remarkable freedom without Mbappé present.

SUB: David Alaba (59' for Rüdiger)—6.5: Completely beaten for what seemed like Real Sociedad's second goal, but rescued by an offside call.

SUB: Dani Carvajal (60' for Alexander-Arnold)—6.0: Almost gifted Real Sociedad a goal with an awful header in his own area that missed Thibaut Courtois entirely.

SUB: Dani Ceballos (73' for Camavinga)—6.4: Maintained perfect passing accuracy in his brief but effective appearance.

SUB: Brahim Díaz (73' for Valverde)—6.0: Struggled to influence the attacking play.

SUB: Jorge Cestero (79' for Tchouaméni)—6.0: Insufficient time to make any meaningful impact.

Subs not used: Andriy Lunin (GK), Ferland Mendy, Fran García, Raúl Asencio, César Palacios, Franco Mastantuono, Kylian Mbappé.

What the Ratings Tell Us

What the Ratings Tell Us

The Statistics Behind Real Madrid's Thrilling Victory

The Statistics Behind Real Madrid's Thrilling Victory