Yangel shows promise as Wesley goes missing on Real Sociedad debuts
Contrasting fortunes for Real Sociedad's new faces at the Bernabéu as Yangel Herrera impresses on his return while Wesley struggles to make any impact against Real Madrid.
Two players making their first starts in very different circumstances, with dramatically contrasting outcomes at the Santiago Bernabéu.
Yangel makes his mark
Four months after his last start, Venezuelan midfielder Yangel Herrera returned to Real Sociedad’s starting eleven against Real Madrid and didn’t waste the opportunity to remind everyone what La Real have been missing.
Despite being primarily known for his defensive qualities, Yangel made his presence felt in attack early on:
- Nearly scored with a header that went narrowly over
- Won the penalty that Mikel Oyarzabal converted for the 1-1 equalizer
- Got into a proper battle with Antonio Rüdiger that added some spice to proceedings
The Venezuelan showed proper bottle in the middle of the park and looked like he hadn’t missed a beat despite his lengthy absence through a muscle injury. Following the standard protocol for players returning from extended layoffs, Matarazzo replaced him with Turrientes around the hour mark.
Wesley’s disappearing act
In stark contrast, Brazilian attacker Wesley’s inclusion in the starting lineup raised a few eyebrows. Having not featured in La Real’s previous three matches, his selection seemed to contradict Matarazzo’s own stated philosophy that players need competitive minutes before earning a starting berth.
However, with Wesley only on a five-month deal, there’s clearly pressure to get him involved sharpish – but blimey, this wasn’t the way to do it. The São Paulo native was completely anonymous throughout his time on the pitch:
- Barely touched the ball in attacking situations
- Struggled defensively as Trent Alexander-Arnold repeatedly exploited space down his flank
- Substituted at half-time for Gonçalo Guedes after a proper phantom performance
What next for the pair?
Yangel’s encouraging return suggests he’ll be gradually reintegrated into the starting lineup as his fitness improves – a proper boost for La Real’s midfield options.
For Wesley, however, the outlook appears bleaker. After this disappointing showing, he may find himself back on the bench or out of the squad entirely, similar to what happened following his underwhelming La Liga derby debut.
Matarazzo now faces some tricky decisions about how to handle the Brazilian’s limited loan spell. If you’re only here for five months, you can’t afford many days like this – Wesley needs to start showing something soon or his Spanish adventure might end up being a right waste of time.