Athletic beats Real Sociedad 2-1 in Basque derby; Valencia and Getafe also win

Athletic take the Basque derby

Athletic Club beat Real Sociedad 2-1 on Sunday, 1 November 2026, in matchday 11 of LaLiga at San Mamés. The Bilbao side took the three points even though Real Sociedad had more possession and more shots. Edin Terzic's team moved closer to the European places, while Real Sociedad, coached by Pellegrino Matarazzo, remained on 19 points. The opening goal showed the link between the Williams brothers, Nico and Iñaki, who were involved in several of Athletic's best moments.

How the goals came

Iñaki Williams gave Athletic the lead in the 14th minute after a pass from his brother Nico, chipping the ball over Álex Remiro once he had been played through behind the defence. Luka Sucic equalised for Real Sociedad in the 30th minute with a powerful left-footed shot near the first post after a loose ball. Athletic regained the lead in the added time of the first half, when Álex Berenguer converted a penalty in the 45th minute plus two. The spot kick followed a challenge by Jon Aramburu on Nico Williams inside the area, and the referee kept his decision after a VAR review.

Chances and the second half

Real Sociedad pressed after the break and spent long spells with the ball, but Athletic kept them at bay. Unai Simón, who had been given the Yashin Trophy before the match and dedicated it to the home fans, kept out efforts from Ander Barrenetxea, Mikel Oyarzabal and Carlos Soler. The Williams brothers came close to adding a third goal for Athletic as the home side looked for the counterattack. Real Sociedad remained in the match until the final whistle without finding an equaliser. The match sheet records a yellow card for Pellegrino Matarazzo in the 65th minute.

Valencia and Getafe also win

Valencia also won on the day, beating Elche 1-0 at the Martínez Valero, with the only goal scored by Umar Sadiq in the 69th minute. Sadiq was returning from injury and had been on the pitch for eight minutes when he struck, finishing a fast counterattack. Elche had controlled much of the first half through Morcillo and Gonzalo Villar but could not find the net, and the result gave Javier Aguirre his first win as Valencia coach. Getafe beat Sevilla 3-1 in the other result of the day, and both clubs had been described as needing a win.

Standings after matchday 11

Athletic have 15 points and sit seventh in the table, with one match fewer than Real Sociedad according to the match report. Real Sociedad are fifth on 19 points, while Sevilla have 17 points and sit between the two sides. The win keeps Athletic in contention for Europe, and Real Sociedad will want to recover the ground they lost at San Mamés.

Real Sociedad19

Sevilla17

Athletic Club15

Real Sociedad

19 points

Sevilla

17 points

Athletic Club

15 points

Data from the article text