Unfortunate Champions League evening v Real Sociedad | OneFootball

0-2 defeat in first group stage home match

We were unable to take a result in the UEFA Champions League group stage at home to Real Sociedad. The 0-2 defeat is a difficult one to take, but it is one we will have to learn from.

Mikel Oyarzabal put us behind in the opening stages (7'). Some 20 minutes later, Brais Mendez added a second in the 2-0 away win. Our Bulls boosted by 28,227 fans behind them gave their absolute all one more time, but there was no way back - and our high from the 2-0 win in Lisbon hasn't been carried back to Salzburg for now.

Match summary

It was clear in the opening stages that our excitement for the tie couldn't be automatically converted into success on the pitch. Real Socieded's attackers threatened from the very first minute.

The game was just seven minutes old when Oyarzabal charged through the middle and was given too much space by Oumar Solet. The Real Sociedad captain dribbled into a shooting position and tucked his shot inside the far post (7'). The effect of the early dampener could be seen on the faces of our boys, but it was also clear that we wanted to respond.

Karim Konate had our first good opportunity to level after being teed up by Roko Simic, but he didn't hit the ball cleanly enough (11'). The Ivorian got another big chance minutes later from a free-kick, but it would not have counted - in any case - as VAR spotted the ball had already crossed the outline (15'). Just when we looked to be building a platform to level and were pushing the visitors from San Sebastian back, they managed to pounce for a second time. After a loss of the ball, the visitors had an extra man as they were bearing down on Alexander Schlager's goal. Solet and Lucas Gourna-Douath threw themselves into the shot of Mendez, but the ball still looped inside the far post (27'). The second conceded goal clearly unsettled us, and it took as a few minutes to regather our composure, which almost led to us conceding another. The scoreline remained at 0-2 at the break - thankfully - with Gerhard Struber charged with inspiring our Red Bulls back into it.

We made three changes at the break to try to inject some momentum into our play, which succeeded straight away, albeit not with the consequences we hoped for. The Spanish defence together knocked Simic down in the penalty area in the opening minutes of the second period. Polish referee Bartosz Frankowski awarded a penalty - but then reversed his call after viewing the video evidence, much to our disappointment (51'). We had no alternative but to keep on throwing everything at the opponents and seeking a goal back. It was clear that we weren't going to get a bucketload of chances against opponents like these, however. Real coach Imanol Alguacil set his side up to pounce on the break - in the knowledge that space should present itself.  Real Sociedad did threaten at times, but our defending was much more solid in the second period.

We tried our luck with some deep passes to the attack - which seemed the logical way to supply our big front two of Simic and Petar Ratkov. We were lacking the little bit of fortune we needed to make a breakthrough, however. We thought that might come when Real defender Jon Pacheco handled the ball, but neither the referee, Frankowski, nor his VAR colleagues agreed (77').

It just wasn't our evening. Even a trio of big chances in stoppage time didn't result in a goal. The 0-2 defeat was sealed - and we can't say it wasn't deserved, but it is still one that hurts us and could have been avoided.

Our task now is to learn from it and go one better next time. Our next opponents in the competition speak for themselves, after all. On Tuesday 24 October we go away to Inter Milan. Information on our official travel offering for the encounter in Italy is to follow this Wednesday, 4 October.

Our full focus for now will be on our next Austrian Bundesliga clash this Sunday 8 October against Austria Klagenfurt.

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Alexander Schlager

Line-up

Substitutions

Baidoo for Solet (46'), Ratkov for Konate (46'), Forson for Kjaergaard (46'), Capaldo for Bidstrup (65'), Sucic for Gloukh (79')

Yellow cards

Solet (41' foul), Pavlovic (76' foul), Struber (77' dissent), Baidoo (88' foul)

Injury news

Not available were Fernando (adductors), Bryan Okoh (thigh), Justin Omoregie (back) and Lukas Wallner (ankle). Sekou Koita is out with an adductor injury, and Nico Mantl was out for private reasons.

Gallery: Our UCL home match v Real Sociedad