Real Betis 1-0 Real Sociedad Player Ratings: Riquelme's 63rd Minute Strike Proves Decisive As Real Betis Start La Liga Season On A Good Note

Real Betis took on Real Sociedad in their opening match of the La Liga 2026/27 season, and fans were not left disappointed with the quality of football on display. Both teams were quite even on paper, and the players fought hard on the pitch to kick off the new season on a good note.

Possession was evenly distributed between the two sides in the first half, with the away side, Real Sociedad, having a slightly higher xG of 0.35 despite zero shots on target. Betis were more accurate with their passing; however, they lacked the end product in the final third.

Orri Óskarsson of La Real had the best chance of the game as he found himself one-on-one with the keeper in the 40th minute, but his shot just kept rising and went over the crossbar.

Real Betis had their fortunes unlocked in the second half, as a fast counterattack led Juan Hernández to find Rodrigo Riquelme in the box, and the 26-year-old winger finished it at Alex Remiro's far post to give the hosts the lead in the 63rd minute.

The second half was largely dominated by La Real, but they failed to get the equalizer and started the new season on a rather disappointing note.

Here are the Real Betis vs Real Sociedad Player Ratings.

Key Takeaways

• Takefusa Kubo won the most ground duels in this encounter (8).
• Pablo Fornals recorded the most key passes in this game (4).
• Jon Martin had the most number of successful tackles (4).

Real Betis Player Ratings vs Real Sociedad

Learn about the Real Betis Player Ratings from the Real Betis vs Real Sociedad Player Ratings.

Real Sociedad Player Ratings vs Real Betis

See the Real Sociedad Player Ratings from the Real Betis vs Real Sociedad Player Ratings.

Man of the Match

Rodrigo Riquelme was the best player in this La Liga fixture.

Worst Performer

Ander Barrenetxea was the worst performer from Real Betis vs Real Sociedad.