Real Sociedad vs CA Osasuna Stats Overview Best Players Reviewed

Yesterday, I watched the Real Sociedad vs Osasuna match with a few friends. It was a pretty intense game, and Real Sociedad won in the end. But after the match, we started discussing who had the best performance overall. Just looking at who scored goals didn’t seem fair enough. So the next morning, I decided to look up the detailed data myself to see if I could find any players who had been overlooked.

I opened my computer and looked up the basic information about the match. Possession: Real Sociedad 63%, Osasuna 37%. This means that Real Sociedad had the ball most of the time. They also had more shots on goal than their opponents, 15 to 8. It seems that they did indeed control the pace of the game.

But these numbers are just the beginning. The real story lies in the details.

I paid special attention to Real Sociedad’s center back Zubimendi. His passing accuracy was 94%, meaning he only made one mistake out of every ten passes. Many of these were long diagonal passes directly to open spaces on the wings.

When I reviewed the footage, I noticed that he remained calm and composed every time he received the ball, acting like one of the team’s “brains.” Such players don’t score many goals, but they have a significant impact on the game.

Osasuna’s forward Avila didn’t score a single goal in the entire game, with zero shots on target. Based on the data, he seems ineffective. However, after watching the game footage, I noticed that he actually put in a lot of effort.

He was fouled three times in a row by Real Sociedad’s defenders, but the referee didn’t call any fouls. Once, he was about to take a shot when he was knocked down, yet the game continued. In such situations, he managed to keep moving and maintaining his position, which is quite impressive.

Bres Mendes had one assist, which looks good. But I noticed he was substituted in the 53rd minute. Why? I looked at his heat map and saw he barely moved on the right wing in the second half.

This suggests he may be in poor form or the coach felt he couldn’t keep up with the pace. The data won’t tell you “he’s tired,” but the heat map and substitution timing will.

I originally thought that the best performers would be the midfielders or forwards, but after checking the statistics, I found that goalkeeper Unai Simón was the key player.

He made five saves throughout the game, including two close-range headers, showing particularly quick reactions. On another occasion, he rushed out of the penalty area to block a shot with his foot when the opponent was through on goal.

This kind of performance cannot be seen from goal statistics alone.

In addition to saves, Simon’s long passes are also very accurate. He made 11 direct passes to teammates in the frontcourt, not just random long kicks. Once, he saved a shot and immediately made a long pass to launch a counterattack, and the team scored a goal a few seconds later.

I wrote this down: “67th minute: save → long pass → goal.“ This kind of fluid play is what makes a goalkeeper truly skilled.

Merino’s pass completion rate was 86%, which looks good. But a friend reminded me, ”Did you watch his defense?” I checked and found that he didn’t make a single tackle and only made one interception.

Osasuna broke through several times on his side, and he failed to protect his area. This shows that focusing solely on passing overlooks his defensive shortcomings.

Kubo and Garcia are two key wingers. Statistically, Garcia had more successful one-on-one duels, winning 4 out of 7. However, Kubo’s dribbling put the opposing defenders under significant pressure.

On one occasion, he dribbled past two players in a row, and although he didn’t make a good pass in the end, the entire Osasuna defense was thrown off balance. This kind of psychological pressure cannot be reflected in the statistics.

For clarity, I added time stamps to the table. For example:

• 23rd minute: Simon saves a header
• 41st minute: Zubimendi delivers an accurate diagonal pass
• 67th minute: The goalkeeper launched a counterattack with a long pass
• 78th minute: Kubo broke through and drew a foul

Looking at it this way, the key moments of the game are clear at a glance.

After I finished my analysis, I sent a message to my friends who were watching the game with me: “Do you think Simon was the best player?” They all said, “Yes, if it weren’t for him, we would have conceded a goal.”

This made me realize that data is a tool, but it must be combined with on-site observations. You can’t just look at the numbers; you also need to hear others’ perspectives.

If you also want to analyze a match, you can do it this way:

1. First, look at basic data such as ball possession and shots on goal.
2. Then check the key performance of each position, such as passes, saves, and interceptions.
3. Combine heat maps and video footage to see the actual positioning of the players.
4. Pay attention to substitutions and changes in the pace of the game.
5. Discuss with friends to verify your findings.

This way, the conclusions you draw will be accurate.

What I learned from this game:
Winning isn’t just the forward’s doing.
A good goalkeeper can save the entire defense.
Some players have average stats but play a big role.
And some players with impressive stats may not contribute much in crucial moments.
Next time you watch a game, don’t just focus on who scores. Pay more attention to those who quietly do the work. They are the true pillars of the game.