Sociedad Hit Six as Gómez and Sučić Score Twice Each Against Lillestrøm
Real Sociedad thrashed Lillestrøm 6-0 away at the Åråsen Stadion on Thursday, October 22, in matchday 3 of the Europa League, with Sergio Gómez and Luka Sučić both scoring twice to finally get the Basque side's league phase campaign up and running.
Real Sociedad had gone into the match still searching for their first win in the competition, having taken only one point from their opening two fixtures, a run that had left them in the bottom half of the 36-team table. They made a rapid start in Norway. Gómez opened the scoring in the 25th minute and added a second just two minutes later, in the 27th minute, to put the visitors firmly in control inside the opening half hour. Sučić, the Croatian midfielder who joined the club from RB Salzburg, then got in on the act himself in the 33rd minute to make it 3-0 before the break.
The rout continued after half-time. Oier Óskarsson extended the lead to four in the 64th minute, before Sučić added his second of the night in the 72nd minute to complete his brace. Arsen Zakharyan, another of Real Sociedad's summer signings, rounded off the scoring in the 80th minute, sealing a six-goal rout without reply from the Norwegian hosts.
The result lifts Real Sociedad up to 14th in the league phase table, while Lillestrøm drop to 31st, leaving the Norwegian side still searching for their first league-phase win of the campaign. It is Real Sociedad's biggest away win of the Europa League season so far, and a much-needed response after a difficult start to their continental campaign under coach Pellegrino Matarazzo. Gómez's double also made him the club's joint-top scorer in the competition this season. Real Sociedad return to league phase action against Lyon at the Reale Arena on November 5, as they look to build on this result and climb away from the bottom half of the standings.