By plano 
So I watched the Real Sociedad vs Osasuna game last night with my buddies, all crammed in my tiny living room with cold beers. Knew right after the final whistle I wanted to break down who actually played well beyond just goals and assists.
How I Dug Into The Numbers
First thing this morning, pulled up the match stats on my second monitor while eating breakfast. Just scrolled through basic stuff like possession percentages first – 63% to Sociedad, figures they controlled it. But raw numbers don’t show dick, so started filtering position-by-position.
For defenders, checked pass completion rates first. That Sociedad center-back Zubimendi? 94% successful passes! Made me rewatch his highlights, dude was pinging diagonal balls like a quarterback.
The Eye Test Part
Stats help but sometimes lie. Osasuna forward Ávila had 0 shots on target, stats say trash right? But rewound the game tape and saw him getting clobbered all match. Three times Sociedad defenders hacked him down with no foul called! Raw numbers miss context every damn time.
Got excited about Brais Méndez’s goal assist stat til I noticed he got subbed off at 53 mins. Manager must’ve seen something wrong, probably why his heat map showed zero right-wing activity after halftime. Stats without timeline filters are useless.
My Unexpected MVP
Never thought I’d pick the fucking goalie as standout! Here’s why Unai Simón owned it:
- 5 saves including two point-blank headers
- 11 long balls that actually found teammates
- Made Osasuna attackers look silly with his footwork
Those key passes don’t show up if you only look at striker stats. Gotta dive into goalkeeper distribution numbers separately.
Where I Almost Screwed Up
Almost gave midfielder Merino best rating for his 86% passing. Then my buddy WhatsApped me like “bro check his defensive numbers” – zero tackles and just 1 interception! Total passenger when Osasuna countered. Stats alone tricked me hard.
Spent 25 mins comparing Kubo’s dribbles vs García’s through balls before realizing both were equally vital. Numbers say García won more duels (7 vs 4) but Kubo’s dribbles killed Osasuna’s morale in person. Split the vote, included both in my final list.
Finished sorting stats into custom spreadsheet categories around noon. Added timestamp notes like “min 67: Simón save → counter attack goal” for context. The data looks neat but honestly? Most useful part was texting mates who saw the game live to gut-check my findings. Stats need human bullshit filters.