The match between Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad on the 14th of January 2023 in La Liga proved to be a riveting one, with Real Sociedad harming their highly competitive rivals, 3:1, at the Anoeta Stadium.

Real Sociedad had their game face on from the onset of the match, with Alexander Sorloth treating the home crowd to a delightful goal, assisted by Igor Zubeldia Elorza within the first 25 minutes. The pair demonstrated excellent teamwork, which was complemented significantly by Takefusa Kubo's score in the 37th minute, following an intelligent assist from stalwart David Silva.

Although Athletic Bilbao managed to reduce the deficit through Oihan Sancet, just moments after Kubo's score, his strike alone turned out to be insufficient. It was only after Zubeldia's commendable assist and excellent playmaking in the first half, did Yuri Berchiche's efforts find strive.

Nevertheless, their hope for a comeback was stifled in the 62nd minute of the match when Mikel Oyarzabal successfully converted a penalty into a goal. This gave Real Sociedad a comfortable two-goal cushion, which they maintained until the final whistle.

Digging a bit deeper into the stats reveals further insights. Real Sociedad displayed a more aggressive approach which reflected in their higher shot rate with 11 attempts in total, out of which 5 were accurate. Meanwhile, Bilbao had a total of 6 attempts where only a third found the target.

The competitive edge of Real Sociedad was augmented by their successful execution of 4 corner kicks, doubling the mere 2 of Athletic Bilbao. However, both teams were caught offside 4 times each, indicating a similar level of strategic intent and tactical foresight.

Interestingly, the game was largely disciplined but experienced a sudden surge in fouls committed by Real Sociedad during the second half, leading to 5 yellow cards as compared to Bilbao's 1. The repeated fouls by the home team could potentially be seen as a tactic to break down Athletic Bilbao's momentum and disrupt their play.

The heated confrontations eventually culminated in a red card being awarded to Athletic Bilbao, further crippling their chances. Despite this, Real Sociedad's superior ball possession throughout the match solidified their position on the field and eventually led to their outstanding victory.

This statistical analysis highlights how the game was tilted in favour of Real Sociedad owing to their improved attacking prowess, early goal advantage, and strategic prowess. Despite being outclassed, Athletic Bilbao did show moments of promise but were unable to successfully pounce on their opportunities in this highly contested battle.

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