Boyé's Penalty Heroics Lift Alavés Past Real Sociedad

The clock struck deep into first-half stoppage time when Lucas Boyé stepped up to the penalty spot, the weight of Mendizorrotza's expectations pressing down on his shoulders. The Argentine striker kept his composure, drilling his right-footed effort into the bottom right corner in the 45th minute plus four seconds of added time, securing a precious 1-0 victory for 14th-placed Alavés over their Basque neighbors Real Sociedad, who sit just one place higher in 10th.

The decisive moment arrived after a frantic scramble in the Real Sociedad penalty area, where the visitors conceded the spot-kick that would ultimately define this tightly-contested derby. Boyé made no mistake from twelve yards, sending Álex Remiro the wrong way as the home crowd erupted in celebration. The goal capped off a first half where chances had been at a premium, but Alavés had shown greater clinical edge when it mattered most.

Real Sociedad controlled large swaths of the encounter, dominating possession with 62.3% of the ball, but their technical superiority failed to translate into clear-cut opportunities. Takefusa Kubo and Carlos Soler orchestrated much of the visitors' attacking play, with Kubo's pace and trickery causing problems down the right flank. However, Jon Pacheco and the Alavés defensive line stood firm, limiting Real Sociedad to speculative efforts from distance. The visitors managed 16 shots compared to Alavés' 14, but struggled to test Antonio Sivera between the posts with any real conviction.

Despite their territorial advantage, Real Sociedad's profligacy in front of goal proved costly throughout the 90 minutes. Jon Karrikaburu squandered a golden opportunity in the 78th minute, heading wide from close range when well-positioned to equalize. Duje Caleta-Car also went agonizingly close in stoppage time, his header from point-blank range sailing over the crossbar as Real Sociedad's desperation grew. The visitors peppered the Alavés goal with nine corners but failed to make their set-piece dominance count.

The turning point came with Alavés' tactical discipline in the second half, as they absorbed Real Sociedad's pressure while looking to exploit spaces on the counter-attack. Denis Suárez and Ander Guevara worked tirelessly in midfield, breaking up play and launching quick transitions that kept the visitors honest. Abde Rebbach came close to doubling the lead in the 55th minute, his effort from the center of the box narrowly missing the top right corner.

This vital victory sets up a daunting challenge for Alavés, who welcome league leaders Real Madrid to Mendizorrotza on December 14th, needing to build on this momentum against the European champions. Real Sociedad, meanwhile, will look to bounce back from this disappointing defeat as they continue their search for consistency in what has been an inconsistent campaign thus far.