Real Sociedad wins the Basque derby

Real Sociedad celebrated a 3-1 victory over Athletic Bilbao in the Basque Country’s top regional derby on Saturday.

Mikel Oyarzabal, who recently returned from a serious knee injury, scored his first goal in nearly 10 months, sealing the win for Sociedad.

Takefusa Kubo also scored for Sociedad, and helped set up the third goal by earning a penalty that resulted in a red card for Bilbao’s Yeray Álvarez. Alexander Sorloth opened the scoring for Sociedad.

The victory strengthens Sociedad’s hold on a Champions League spot, and closes the gap with second-place Real Madrid and leader Barcelona. Bilbao sits in 8th place after the defeat.