On 25 February 2023, Valencia hosted Real Sociedad at Mestalla Stadium for a La Liga encounter that concluded with Valencia securing a 1-0 victory, thanks to an own goal by Real Sociedad's Igor Zubeldia Elorza. This match was a display of defensive grit and scrappy play, evident by the total of eight yellow cards and numerous interruptions caused by fouls. The early own goal, coming at the 40th minute of the first half, set the tone for a tightly contested match in which both teams created but failed to seize crucial opportunities.

The match saw both teams registering equal shots on target (3 each), a demonstration of their balanced offensive efforts. Valencia managed to keep their shots more precise with fewer off-target attempts (5) compared to Real Sociedad’s 8, indicating a slight edge in shooting accuracy for the home team. Despite both teams having an almost equal number of corner kicks (7 for Valencia and 8 for Real Sociedad), the visitors failed to capitalize on these set-piece opportunities, which could have turned the tide in their favor.

Team discipline was a key differentiator, as the home team accumulated five yellow cards, reflecting aggressive and sometimes reckless defensive tactics to maintain their slender lead. Valencia’s goalkeeper Giorgi Mamardashvili received a yellow card in the second half, underlining his crucial role in maintaining their defensive line under pressure. On the other hand, Real Sociedad's three yellow cards showed they were also involved in physical play but managed slightly better on the disciplinary front.

Substitution patterns were strategically employed by both sides to inject fresh energy and adjust formations based on the unfolding dynamics. However, none of the changes managed to significantly alter the scoreline, pointing towards a closely matched contest where the initial own goal remained the decisive factor. Valencia's fewer fouls (13) versus Sociedad's (12) were indicative of the home team’s better control in challenging situations, even as the game grew increasingly fractious in the second half.

Ultimately, the match's outcome can be attributed to the slight differences in execution and discipline, particularly Valencia’s ability to suppress Real Sociedad’s attacking threats and retain their early albeit fortunate lead. This game hinged dramatically on defensive solidity and capitalizing on opponent errors rather than creating and converting clear scoring chances, which statistically was mirrored in the evenly distributed match metrics.

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