Mbappe shines as 10-Man Real Madrid hold on for 2-1 victory at Real Sociedad

The visitors get off to a flying start with Mbappe opening the scoring from a quick counter in the 12th minute

LaLiga - Real Sociedad v Real Madrid - Reale Arena, San Sebastian, Spain - Sept 13, 2025 Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring their first goal REUTERS/Pankra Nieto

Kylian Mbappe scored and provided the assist for Arda Guler as Real Madrid weathered a second-half storm to beat Real Sociedad 2-1 on Saturday, maintaining their perfect LaLiga start despite playing most of the match with 10 men.

The visitors got off to a flying start with Mbappe opening the scoring from a quick counter in the 12th minute, but their task became significantly harder when defender Dean Huijsen was shown a straight red card after the half-hour mark for hauling down Mikel Oyarzabal as the last man.

Despite their numerical disadvantage, Real Madrid doubled their lead just before halftime when Guler scored from close range following a great run by Mbappe who brilliantly put the ball on a plate for the Turkish midfielder inside a crowded box.

Real Sociedad pulled one back with Mikel Oyarzabal from the penalty spot in the 56th minute after a handball by Dani Carvajal, but the visitors held on for a hard-fought victory that keeps them top of LaLiga with 12 points from four matches, three ahead of Athletic Bilbao who have a game in hand and host Alaves later on Saturday.

The defeat leaves winless Real Sociedad in 17th place with two points, just one spot above the relegation zone.