Derby to separate Real Sociedad’s and Athletic Bilbao’s twin seasons

The Basque derby will offer Real Sociedad and Athletic Bilbao, among other things, the chance to set apart their freakishly similar seasons.

When discussing derbies or intense rivalries, you often hear the claim among the neutrals that both sides are more similar than they are different. This season has seen Athletic Bilbao and Real Sociedad take that adage to a whole new level, having enjoyed scarily similar seasons. They have almost copied each other’s moves so far this campaign.

Both sides started the new season with new managers, Real Sociedad hiring Asier Garitano, Athletic Club appointing former Sevilla boss Eduardo Berizzo. They also both endured a miserable starts, particularly at home, where they collected a measly 13 points from 13 home games between the two of them.

Both sides fired their managers in quick succession. Athletic Club went first after a 3-0 loss to Levante left them in 18th and with just one win in their first 13 league games. They appointed another Garitano, B team coach Gaizka Garitano, whose father, Angel, saved Athletic Club from relegation 12 years ago, the last time they sacked a manager mid-season. Gaizka was also managing in Spain at that time: While his father saved Athletic, Gaizka couldn’t do the same at Real Sociedad as Txuri-urdinak were relegated.

Berizzo lasted just three more matches, before a string of four consecutive defeats that left La Real in 15th place. As Athletic Club had, Sociedad promoted B team manager Imanol Alguacil to the first team role. It’s the 47-year-old’s second stint as interim after he took the reigns following the sacking of Eusebio Sacristan last season. Under Alguacil, Real Sociedad picked up 16 points toward the end of last season and they’ve continued that form this season, having gone unbeaten in his four league matches so far. His colleague in Bilbao is also unbeaten since taking over.

Key to the both clubs’ revival has been their home form as they’ve collected 14 points from their last six home matches combined, though a majority of these points have come from Gaizka Garitano’s side. If Real Sociedad win on the weekend, Alguacil will have picked up only two fewer home points than his predecessor in six fewer matches.

Another factor to Bilbao’s good form is the return to form of both teams star striker. Athletic Club have won many of their games so far off a solid back line and the goals of the ever-reliable Iker Munian and a renewed Inaki Williams. Over the past four seasons, Williams has scored one, eight, five and seven league goals respectively. This season he already has seven, three of them coming in his last four league games and two of them coming against Sevilla at the San Mames, ending a two-year goal drought at home for Williams.

Unlike Williams, Real Sociedad’s Willian Jose has been quite prolific for his side since joining from Las Palmas in 2016, breaking the 10-goal barrier in his last two seasons. However, the Brazilian had a miserable start to the campaign, managing just three league goals in 14 league games. Since the new coach took over, Jose has scored four in his last four matches.

Currently, the only real difference between these two rivals is that Real Sociedad defense wasn’t as poor as Athletic Bilbao’s before the coaching changes. Under Berizzo, Athletic Club conceded 23 goals in their first 14 matches, the third worst defensive record in the league at the time. Since Garitano took over, the Basque giants have conceded just three times. Real Sociedad conceded 18 goals in that same time span and have conceded four goals since their new manager took over.

With both bragging rights and improving their chances of playing European football next season on the line, it is unlikely that this quirky stake will be on the minds of fans on either side. Nonetheless,  a win in the derby for either of these teams might finally give the victor’s season a unique quality the other doesn’t possess, and end this strange copycat run each side has been on.