Thursday night showed explicitly, if we did not already know it, the gulf in class between Spanish football and Scottish football. Real Sociedad were simply too good for Aberdeen. Outsmarting, outhinking, outwitting the Dons in every department resulted in a long night for us proud Scots and the Aberdeen team.
The opening stages looked promising as Aberdeen managed to get a grip of the ball and were stroking it about freely within the opening stages. That, however, can be put down to rustiness from the Spanish side who, had not played a competitive match so far, this being their first one. That you could say lulled the Aberdeen players into a false sense of security as Sociedad after the 20-minute mark began to up the speed of the game.
Aberdeen, as most Scottish teams could not (including Celtic) cope with the continual high pressure from Sociedad which forced uncharacteristic mistakes from the likes of Ryan Jack, Willo Flood and Shay Logan. These mistakes gifted possession back to Real Sociedad and thy revelled on the ball, giving them the opportunity to lay siege to the Dons defence time after time after time. Somehow Aberdeen managed to go in at half time level and with only several forays forward into the opposition half.
The second half continued in much the same vain as the first, Spaniards attacking and Scots defending. It did not take long for Real Sociedad to settle into the second half opening the scoring in the 53rd minute. To be honest it was a goal Aberdeen could have avoided if Logan cleared first time but instead the ball fell into the path of Zurutuza inside the box and he thundered home.
The opening goal for Sociedad did seem inevetable after the relentless pressure piled upon the Dons defence. Aberdeen were struggling to cope with the passing and movement of the Spanish players. This is where Spanish football really puts Scottish football to the sword, this was a 7th placed La Liga team versus a 3rd placed Scottish Premiership side and the difference in quality showed, in every department. There is no getting away from that.
If Aberdeen fans were under the impression the pressure would subside after the first goal they were wrongly mistaken as Real Sociedad if nothing else upped the pace of the game to try and force home their advantage. Langfield and the bar were on hand to deny the Spaniards increasing the difference betwen the two sides but that would only prove to last short-term.
Substitute Canales unleashed a 25 yard, low, driven shot that fizzed past Langfield nestling itself in the corner of the net. There is nothing anyone could have done about that. Sheer quality was being emited from Sociedad now as they stroked the ball about with ease picking holes and passes where a normal human could not see there was one.
The hosts were now looking for that vital third goal to put the tie to bed, but it was not to be as Aberdeen held firm for the remaining twenty minutes and even dared to threaten the opposition goal on a couple of occasions. It never really came to anything though as always the final ball would prove the downfall.
It may seem as though the tie is technically over but stranger things have happened in football and anything can happen in front of a packed Pittodrie.
A huge credit goes to the 1,200 or so Aberdeen fans who made the trip to San Sebastian to get behind their team. They did not lose heart as they saw that second goal go in and only got louder as the game went on!
FT: Real Sociedad 2-0 Aberdeen
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