Real Sociedad went into their home fixture with Espanyol looking to claim three points to move themselves into 11th place in the La Liga standings.
The first half proved devoid of many chances despite the pace of the game, but Sociedad found an opener when Sergio Canales profited from some poor goalkeeping from Kiko Casilla to give the hosts a 1-0 lead.
Espanyol were unable to create much in the second period, with Real coming close to grabbing another through Imanol Agirretxe as David Moyes and his men went on to claim a slender victory.
Follow how all of the action developed with Sports Mole's minute-by-minute updates below.
Good afternoon everyone and welcome to our live coverage as Real Sociedad take on travelling Espanyol at the Anoeta Stadium in La Liga. These two sides are within touching distance of each other on the table, and are both looking to bounce back from defeats in their previous outings in the Spanish top flight.
A win for David Moyes and his charges could lift them into 11th place this afternoon, while today's visitors are seeking out a victory that may move them as high as eighth in the table.
This game is sure to guarantee goals. Sociedad have conceded at least 2 goals in their last three domestic games. Meanwhile, there have also been over 2.5 goals scored in seven of Espanyol's last eight away games.
As mentioned, both teams are looking to bounce back from defeats. Sociedad recently lost out to a dominant Valencia side, while Espanyol were rolled over by visitors Athletic Bilbao as they were knocked out of the Copa del Rey.
History shows that the home setting could potentially offer Moyes and his men an advantage today. The hosts have lost just one of their last eight league matches at the Anoeta this season.
Espanyol enjoyed a wonderful first half of the La Liga campaign, but they have hardly been formidable on the road. The majority of their points have been picked up on home soil. Sergio's charges have only managed to collect six points out of the last available 15 on the road.
We're expecting that Sociedad will have no major injury concerns this afternoon. It is expected that both Joseba Zaldua and Gonzalo Castro should be able to shake off knocks in time to feature. Espanyol should welcome back Javi Lopez from suspension, but Jose Canas will be missing through suspension.
Some team news for you now...
REAL SOCIEDAD STARTING XI: Rulli; Martinez, Granero, Agirretxe, Xabi Prieto, Pardo, Ansotegi, Canales, Chory Castro, Yuri, Zaldua
REAL SOCIEDAD SUBSTITUTES: Zubikarai, Elustondo, M. Bergara, Finnbogason, De la Bella, HervIas, Capilla
ESPANYOL STARTING XI: Casilla; Víctor S, Garcia, Abraham, H.Moreno, J.Lopez, Lucas, Caicedo, Alvaro, Arbilla, Duarte
ESPANYOL SUBSTITUTES: Pau Lopez, Felipe, Alvarez, Salva, Stuani, Colotto, Montanes
So Moyes will be looking to goals from Imanol Agirretxe, with creative supporting coming from the likes of Sergio Canales, Xabi Prieto and Chori Castro a little deeper. The visitors have brought in Abraham into the middle of the pitch, with Felipe Caicedo and Sergio Garcia leading the visitors' line.
Given Sociedad's home form in recent times, I think the hosts might just edge this encounter. Given the creativity of Canales, Prieto and Castro and Agirretxe's efficiency up top, I'm going to say 2-1 to Moyes and his men. Added to that, we all know that Espanyol are hardly the most stout when travelling away from home.
Moyes has tried to instil some unity and aggression into his side since joining the club. The former Manchester United boss has felt a little aggrieved recently, with his team-sheets reportedly being leaked by a 'mole' within the camp. Here's what he's had to say about the controversy, according to the Daily Mail:
"For some reason our team is in the newspapers [on the day of the game]. I don't get the opposition team. I didn't get Valencia's team but the opposition get my team. I don't think that's right. It doesn't seem correct to me that our rivals find about our team selection because of leaks."
We are now just a few moments away from kickoff at the Anoeta Stadium. This game should be a lively one, hopefully with a few goals. The teams are just emerging onto the pitch as we await the start of the match.
Sociedad will be playing in their usual blue and white stripes, while Espanyol feature in all yellow.
KICKOFF! A fast start for the visitors begins as Caicedo is almost in at the back-post, but the ball through has just a little too much on it and it rolls out of play.
The away side have started very brightly, with Sergio Garcia's quick movement causing some early problems for Sociedad. The ball is moved down the right channel where Vazquez tries to cross, but Martinez makes the clearance.
Sociedad make their first attacking move down the right flank through Prieto after some impressive hold-up play from Agirretxe, only for the move to break down when Arbilla gets across to make the interception.
The visitors get the chance to get a free kick into the box from deep, but the ball from Lucas is a poor one and drifts out of play at the back-post. Caicedo looks a little ticked off.
Nice work from Socieded now as Agirretxe drops deep again to hold the ball up for his teammates. He slips in Canales on the overlap who then charges forward to play in Prieto. The cross into the box is a decent one, but Moreno gets a foot in at the vital moment to stop Castro's run in behind.
We've enjoyed a lively start to proceedings here, but the final ball has been the problem. This time Sergio Garcia produces a neat run to get into the left side of the box. Caicedo is waiting for the cross in the middle, but instead the frontman decides to shoot and blasts over without troubling Rulli.
SHOT! It's nothing to trouble Casilla, but Castro decides to have a pop from long range after a Sociedad corner is cleared only as far as the playmaker. His effort is a wild one, though, which goals sailing over the crossbar much to the pleasure of the Espanyol stopper. He's having words with his defenders, however, for a supposed lack of closing down...
Again the final ball seems to the be the problem. Espanyol break down the left through Victor Sanchez, who delivers a terrible cross that flies straight out for a goal kick. This game is moving from end to end at the moment, with barely any time for the central midfielders to get a foot on the ball.
Both sets of strikers are dropping deep to setup the play at the moment, meaning that there's lots of running on the overlap. Espanyol change tact for a moment as they keep possession in the middle before springing the ball wide to the left. Lopez cuts inside and looks for the run of Caicedo but Rulli is out to smother.
Sociedad work into nicely in the corner between Prieto and Castro on the left side of the pitch. The ball is eventually delivered towards Agirretxe, who is crowded out in the centre of the box, leaving Casilla to gather the loose ball.
Oof! That's hefty from Granero.... The attacker drops deep to collect the ball, leaving the Sociedad midfielder to stick a knee straight into the middle of his back. The offender somehow escapes a yellow card too. The resulting free kick is pumped into the box towards Gonzalez who can't quite connect with a header.
Sociedad have played the best of their football in and around the Espanyol area, but they are yet to pick out the killer ball. Meanwhile, Espanyol have enjoyed some space on the flanks and are looking for balls into the strikers from wide areas.
The home side are given the chance to lift a ball into the box after a Lucas Vazquez foul. The ball into the area is a poor one, though, leaving Espanyol to hoof clear.
Castro shows great feet to move all the way across the Espanyol box. Canales is the eventual recipient and he chips a cross in towards Agirretxe in the centre of the area, but Moreno heads clear.
Sergio Garcia is the driving force this time for Espanyol and he looks to break beyond Ansotegi with the centre-back proving a good match for the forward. The visitors have looked quite dangerous when given space just in front of the Sociedad defence. Both sides have threatened in this encounter, but we're still waiting for a clear-cut chance.
We might have one here as Prieto is brought down on the edge of the area...
CLOSE! The ball is flashed straight across the face of goal with neither Canales or Prieto able to get something on it to divert the ball towards goal. Any touch on this probably ends up in Sociedad taking the lead...
GOAL! REAL SOCIEDAD 1-0 ESPANYOL (SERGIO CANALES)
Wow! What has Casilla done there? He gears up for a basic clearance having been handed the ball by his defence, however he sends his kick straight into the path of Canales, who controls with one touch and then slots home from just outside of the box with the keeper stranded. A goal from nothing, really.
Sociedad don't really deserve to be in the lead here but they've gone and got themselves the opening goal. A real shocker from the Espanyol keeper, though. Espanyol look to respond down on the right side of the box as Abraham looks to slip a through-ball into the path of Garcia, but he's ruled to be offside.
The pace of the game has just slowed a touch after the goal. Sociedad are looking to take the sting out of things as we approach half time at the Anoeta Stadium.
SHOT! The Sociedad defence back off Caicedo and he shifts the ball into the unmarked Garcia. The forward has a pop from the edge of the area, with the shot flying straight into the save hands of Rulli.
HALF TIME: REAL SOCIEDAD 1-0 ESPANYOL
So David Moyes and his men take a slender 1-0 lead into half time following a very even game in La Liga. You wouldn't say that Sociedad particularly deserve to be in front, but they've been presented with a chance and have taken it.
Espanyol have looked equally creative on the ball, although neither side has really had the quality to carve out anything describable as clear-cut in the final third of the pitch.
Sociedad's defence have held firm in the opening 45 minutes and that will encourage Moyes given that his side also hold the lead. They might be looking at grabbing another goal as this Espanyol team pushes for an equaliser in the second period.
The sides have both gone through periods of dominant possession. As it stands, Espanyol just about shade the possessional statistics with 51% of the ball in the first half. Both sides have had two shots on target.
As it stands, Sociedad now hold 11th position in the table with just two points separating today's opponents.
These sides really do have very little separating them in front of 21,000 fans at the Anoeta today. Heat maps show that Sociedad have had 276 touches on the ball compared to Espanyol's 283.
So what can Espanyol do to change this game? They haven't played too badly either. Perhaps Christian Stuani coming on from the bench could cause some problems later on in the game. Garcia has been impressive so far in the encounter, though Caicedo could do with putting himself about a bit more.
The players have no remerged and we're waiting for the start of the second half.
KICKOFF! Sociedad get things moving again. The ball is pumped long towards the Espanyol defence, who clear with relative ease.
CLOSE! The hosts threaten for the first time in the second half as Castro robs his marker before charging down the left flank. He looks to pick out Canales with a cross into the box, leaving Duarte to make a clever recovering tackle.
The visitors are yet to offer anything in this period. They've enjoyed some possession in the middle of the pitch, but have been unable to move the ball forward at the required pace. Sociedad are pressing with intensity at the moment.
YELLOW CARD! Victor Sanchez is booked for impeding Zaldua down on the right flank, leaving Sociedad with a free kick in a dangerous area.
CLOSE! The ball is whipped into the box where an unmarked Castro is left free to try and meet the ball with his head. He gets the timing all wrong, though, and Espanyol are dealt a major reprieve.
Sociedad are looking good as it stands. They've certainly upped the intensity in the second half and are also enjoying some space down the right side of the pitch.
Espanyol win a free kick on the edge of the Sociedad area, but the shot from Anaitz Arbilla fails to test the keeper as the ball goes flying over the bar. Opportunity wasted...
Sociedad enjoy some right on the left side of the pitch and Castro draws a foul to earn a free kick. The ball is simply dinked into the box, leaving Espanyol to clear.
SAVE! Castro produces a brilliant run after being fed the ball mistakenly by Espanyol. He pulls off a neat turn inside the box to fool his marker and perhaps draw a foul. The ball drops to Agirretxe whose shot is smothered by Casilla. The referee waves away any appeals for a penalty.
More controversy now as a hopeful ball is chipped into the Espanyol box. Agirretxe is left to battle for it and is put under some pressure by two away defenders. The striker goes down, but again the referee is unmoved by the protests.
Espanyol almost execute the perfect counter-attack as they pour forward from the Sociedad half. The ball is worked over to Lopez who is then stopped by a wonderful tackle from Granero who perhaps keeps his side ahead.
SAVE! Granero is given space down at the other end of the pitch and he loops a lofted through-ball into Prieto who drifts beyond the last man. The playmaker sends his diving header straight at a thankful Casilla, but the linesman has also flagged for offside.
REAL SOCIEDAD SUBSTITUTIONS: Moyes decides to make two changes as Markel Bergara replaces Granero and Pablo Hervias replaces Castro.
ESPANYOL SUBSTITUTES: Stuani is brought into the fray as he replaces Anaitz Arbilla.
Sociedad are continuing to press for a second. Sergio Canales seeks out the through-ball for Agirretxe who is eventually called offside.
Espanyol are going to need to do something quickly here. They have yet to really threaten in the second half and have left Rulli with very little to do. Prieto and Canales combine well down at the other end this time, but the resulting cross is cleared by Gonzalez without trouble.
The hosts nearly kill the game of as Prieto is shifted the ball on the edge of the area following a counter-attack. He looks for a first-time ball into the path of Agirretxe, but the defenders clear their lines.
Just under 10 minutes left to play now... Can Sociedad see this out? As it stands it seems as if they want the second goal to make sure.
SAVE! Espanyol win a free kick and the ball is lifted towards the back-post. Caicedo manages to wriggle free to meet the ball with his head, but Rulli makes a comfortable save with the striker coming under just enough pressure.
Espanyol are looking to give this all they have in the dying minutes of the game. Sociedad are holding their lines well, though. Stuani is found in the centre of the box with a chipped pass, but the resulting head creeps over the crossbar without troubling Rulli.
The visitors push forward for another attack and the ball is pumped long into Stuani. He has two defenders to contend with and ends up producing a foul. Vital free kick for Sociedad as they try to close out this win.
Prieto does excellently to bring the ball down with one touch in the corner of the Espanyol half. The hosts are just trying to keep possession now. We've got two minutes of additional time at the Anoeta Stadium.
SAVE! Agirretxe almost goes one better by grabbing a second for Real, but he's thwarted by an on-rushing Casilla who makes a smart stop to deny the forward.
FULL TIME: REAL SOCIEDAD 1-0 ESPANYOL
Espanyol prove powerless to stop the defeat after a rather tepid showing in the second half. Moyes and his men deserve the victory on the merit of their second-half display. They were lucky to get the goal in the first period, but they proved much the better team overall and might have grabbed another goal late on. The victory now lifts Sociedad into 11th spot, just two points behind 10th-placed Espanyol.
