Real Madrid came from behind to maintain their flawless record, securing the top position in La Liga with a hard-fought 2-1 win against Real Sociedad at home. Fede Valverde equalised Ander Barrenetxea’s early fourth-minute goal for the visitors with a powerful shot from outside the penalty area as the second half got underway.
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Joselu sealed the victory for Real Madrid in the 60th minute with a strong header following Fran Garcia’s run and cross from the left flank. Meanwhile, the visitors were left to rue Take Kubo’s first-half strike, which would have given them a 2-0 lead, but it was disallowed due to Mikel Oyarzabal’s offside position.
💥 ¡El @realmadrid estuvo a punto de hacer el empate! #LALIGAEASPORTS | #LALIGAHighlights #RealMadridRealSociedad pic.twitter.com/dq3UjKoYGQ
— LALIGA (@LaLiga) September 17, 2023
In Jose Rojo Pacheta’s managerial debut, Villarreal also recovered from an early deficit to secure a 2-1 win at home against Almeria. Sergio Akieme broke the deadlock for Almeria in the 44th minute, bypassing the offside trap, but Gerard Moreno levelled from close range just before halftime. Almeria missed numerous chances to seal the victory and paid the price when Alexander Sorloth scored the winning goal for Villarreal in injury time.
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Getafe emerged victorious in a thrilling home match, edging out Osasuna 3-2. Stefan Mitrovic and Jose Angel Carmona gave Getafe the lead twice with headers, but Iker Munoz and Ante Budimir responded for Osasuna, with Budimir converting a penalty. Nemanja Maksimovic’s header in the 86th minute ensured Getafe’s victory, and Mason Greenwood made a cameo appearance in the 77th minute.
Sevilla secured their first points of the season with a 1-0 victory over Las Palmas, thanks to a goal from Dodi Lukebakio, who came off the bench. However, the highlight of the match was Sergio Ramos wearing a Sevilla jersey, nearly two decades after his departure to Real Madrid.
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In the early weekend fixture, Joao Felix marked his FC Barcelona debut with a goal as Barca routed Betis 5-0. The Portuguese forward found the net in the 24th minute after an initial save by Betis’ Rui Silva. Robert Lewandowski doubled the lead eight minutes later, and Ferran Torres added a third with a curling free-kick shortly after halftime. Raphinha and Joao Cancelo completed the scoring for Barca.
Atletico Madrid suffered a disappointing 3-0 loss to Valencia, leaving coach Diego Simeone pondering if it was one of their worst performances during his tenure. Hugo Duro scored twice, and Javi Guerra added a curling shot to seal the win for Valencia.
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Athletic Club displayed patience in their 3-0 victory over Cadiz, with Gorka Guruzeta, Asier Villalibre, and Inaki Williams all scoring in the second half. Oihan Sancet hit the post twice in the first half, and Cadiz’s goalkeeper, Conan Ledesma, made several crucial saves.
Vedat Muriqi’s crucial touch secured Mallorca’s first victory of the season against Celta Vigo. Celta’s coach, Rafa Benitez, expressed frustration after Jonathan Bamba’s goal was ruled not to have crossed the Mallorca goal line.