Late Soler Strike Denies Celta Vigo as Real Sociedad Salvages Draw in Battle of the Basement
At the Estadio Abanca-Balaídos this Sunday afternoon, the air carried a persistent tension – not just from the threat of relegation, but from the two teams grappling for lifelines in La Liga’s lower reaches. Celta Vigo, occupying 17th with only six points, and Real Sociedad, stranded at the bottom, arrived desperate for momentum, but departed with their shared frustrations intact after a dramatic 1-1 draw that owed much to drama, resilience, and the cruel mathematics of the league table.
Celta Vigo, whose recent form bore more resemblance to survival than revival, came out with unmistakable urgency. Winless in eight league matches, they sought refuge in every promising attack, beginning the afternoon with a hunger that belied their standing. That intent paid off in the 20th minute. Pablo Durán, quick to read the flicked header from Aspas inside the penalty area, seized on a defensive lapse, tucking a right-footed strike beyond Álex Remiro. The goal – a cathartic moment for the home crowd – echoed the earlier heroics of Borja Iglesias and Iago Aspas, whose goals had rescued precious draws in prior weeks for a club living on the razor’s edge.
Yet as so often in this bruising campaign, adversity followed swiftly. Just before halftime, Carl Starfelt, Celta’s Swedish center-back, found himself at the center of the action for all the wrong reasons. A mistimed sliding challenge on Mikel Oyarzabal drew the referee’s red card and sent Starfelt to the dressing room, leaving Celta to navigate an entire half reduced to ten men. The expulsion not only shifted the tactical equation but also seemed to embolden Real Sociedad, even as their recent record suggested little appetite for late drama.
For much of the second half, Sociedad pressed, spurred on by the urgency of their predicament – last place, five points after a run of five defeats in six. The visitors, marshaled by Álvaro Odriozola and the ever-industrious Mikel Oyarzabal, carved out opportunities, but Celta’s defensive rearguard, often marshaled by the tireless Kevin Vázquez, repelled wave after wave. Each clearance from the embattled home side felt as if it might preserve the slim margin their season so desperately needed.
But as the minutes waned, so did Celta’s composure. The 89th minute brought heartbreak. A slick sequence down the right saw Brais Méndez – returning to the ground where he once wore sky blue – deliver an incisive low cross. Carlos Soler, who has struggled to recapture the form that once made him Valencia’s centerpiece, timed his run to perfection, sweeping the ball past Guaita for the equalizer. The reaction said everything: Sociedad’s bench erupted, knowing that the goal – only their sixth in La Liga this season – spared them another week anchored to the bottom. For Celta, it was a familiar agony, reminiscent of last month’s late collapse against Elche.
In the dying moments, both sides seemed to sense the futility of chasing victory where caution now reigned. The final whistle was met with relief, then reflection. For Celta Vigo, the result marked their sixth draw in eight matches, a pattern that has left them teetering just above the relegation zone. The solitary win in Europe against PAOK remains a rare bright spot amid domestic struggles. Real Sociedad’s day, too, defined by frustration: one win from eight, their two draws a meager haul for a side accustomed to pushing for continental places in seasons past.
Today’s draw, for all the passion and late drama, maintains the status quo at the foot of La Liga. Celta, 17th, will enter the coming weeks haunted by the knowledge that missed chances have become their calling card. Real Sociedad’s equalizer, though critical, fails to lift them from 20th, their own campaign defined by narrow margins and unanswered questions.
The two clubs have met often in recent years, their matches rarely short on tension. But seldom have both seemed so desperate for lifelines. For Carlos Carvalhal and Real Sociedad, October’s win over Mallorca stands as their lone beacon, while Celta – under Rafael Benítez – have looked more stable, yet no closer to claiming three points where it matters most.
With fixtures looming against direct rivals, the stakes only escalate. Celta Vigo must convert draws into victories to avoid being dragged into a season-long relegation fight. Real Sociedad, having snatched salvation at the death, faces the daunting prospect of turning fragments of hope into sustained recovery. As autumn settles over Balaídos, both clubs know that Sunday’s shared spoils are, at best, a temporary balm, and at worst, a sign of stormier nights to come.