Huesca frustrated Real Sociedad on Sunday afternoon at Anoeta, keeping their first ever top flight clean sheet with a well organised and disciplined performance.
La Real were undefeated in five matches under Imanol Alguacil coming into this fixture, and were looking to go four league games undefeated for the first time since April last year, when Imanol was also in charge.
The hosts played a 4-3-3 formation. Hector Moreno was injured, Raul Navas returned to defence after a lengthy spell out with a knee problem. Sandro Ramires was preferred to Adnan Januzaj in one of the two forward positions behind Willian Jose.
For Huesca, Francisco left Damian Musto and David Ferreiro on the bench as his side looked to bounce back from a 3-0 defeat to Atletico Madrid last week. 21 year old Venezuelan midfielder Yangel Herrera, who is on loan from Manchester City, made his maiden La Liga start.
Huesca played a 3-5-2 formation which naturally became 5-3-2 without the ball. They were shrewd in playing a very high defensive line and compressing the space in which La Real could play. Imanol's team don't really possess pace in attack, so Huesca were content to leave large spaces behind their back three and Roberto Santamaria in goal, believing that Real Sociedad wouldn't exploit it - and so it proved.
The hosts did control most of the possession, with the likes of Asier Illaramendi, Mikel Merino and Igor Zubeldia all adept at short passing. However they failed to unpick the Huesca defence. The back three of Xabier Etxeita, Pablo Insua and Jorge Pulido were excellent - their play hardly reflected a defence that had shipped 39 goals in 20 matches. The back three paid close attention to Mikel Oyarzabal who began on the right flank but did switch with Ramires (left) throughout the game.
In fact, it was the visitors who came closest to scoring in the first half. First, Herrero crashed a 20 year effort against the post with Geromino Rulli beaten. On the rebound Insua fluffed his lines.
Then five minutes before half time new signing Enric Gallego set up Cucho Hernandez who's low drive was heading for the corner, until Rulli's fingertips intervened impressively. Gallego and Hernandez's strike partnership showed promising flickers of synergy.
After half time chances were extremely limited. Huesca carried less attacking threat, and focused more and more on keeping their first clean sheet of the season. And Real Sociedad were worryingly short of creative spark and intervention.
Imanol made three fairly straight forward changes: Januzaj replaced Ramirez, Willian Jose (begrudgingly) came off for Juanmi and late on Luca Sangali was Merino's replacement.
Francisco aimed to protect the point with his changes: Musto on for Herrera was a defensive change in midfield. Chimy Avila came on for Gallego and late on Ferreiro was introduced for Hernandez - another defensive alteration.
But neither goalkeeper was forced into a save of note in the second half.
This results means that La Real have 10 points from 10 home games all season. Huesca were happy to end a sequence of eight consecutive away defeats, thanks to some defensive cohesion which could prove critical if they are to begin an unthinkable journey towards safety.
Images from AS and Diario Spiker
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