strong> Real Madrid are preparing to face Real Sociedad in La Liga, with the club having undergone major changes since their last defeat to the Basque side in May 2023.
There is something completely different about the upcoming meeting between Real Madrid and Real Sociedad. Just three years separate the last time Los Blancos suffered defeat against their Basque opponents from this new encounter, yet looking back at that game reveals just how much has changed at the Spanish giants.
The names involved that night are mostly no longer there, while the team’s structure, ambitions and coaching staff have all changed dramatically. As José Mourinho prepares for his first competitive match at the Santiago Bernabéu as Real Madrid manager in more than 13 years, memories of the club’s last defeat against Real Sociedad have returned to the spotlight.
Real Sociedad’s most recent victory over Real Madrid came on May 2, 2023, when the Basque side secured a 2-0 victory at the Reale Arena.
Takefusa Kubo and Ander Barrenetxea scored Real Sociedad’s goals in the second half, dealing another blow to Real Madrid’s hopes of competing for the La Liga title that season. Since that match, Real Sociedad have failed to beat Real Madrid in their last eight meetings across all competitions.
However, the result itself is not the only interesting part. The biggest difference can be seen by looking at the players who represented Real Madrid that night.
David Silva was part of Real Sociedad’s midfield alongside Mikel Merino and Martín Zubimendi, while Mikel Oyarzabal operated on the left wing. Real Madrid, meanwhile, featured several players whose careers at the club have since come to an end.
Of the players who started for Real Madrid that night, only five remain part of the first-team squad: Thibaut Courtois, Antonio Rüdiger, Éder Militão, Aurélien Tchouaméni and Rodrygo. Courtois was the only one of those five to start Real Madrid’s opening game of the 2026-27 season.
Dani Carvajal, Nacho Fernández and Toni Kroos have since retired, while Marco Asensio, Dani Ceballos and Mariano Díaz have all left the club.
Vinícius Júnior was also part of Real Madrid’s squad during the 2022-23 season. He finished that campaign as the club’s second-highest scorer in all competitions, but he did not start against Real Sociedad after being rested ahead of the Champions League semi-final against Manchester City.
Since then, Real Madrid have gone through a major period of change. Several experienced players departed, while Vinícius Júnior and Jude Bellingham, who joined in the summer of 2023, helped lead the team to Champions League and La Liga glory during the 2023-24 season.
The process of rebuilding, however, did not stop there.
The clearest indication of just how much Real Madrid have changed is that the club have gone through four different managers and completed 16 first-team signings since their last defeat to Real Sociedad in May 2023.
As Real Madrid prepare to face Real Sociedad once again, only four players from the potential starting XI are expected to have spent more than two full seasons at the club, highlighting the scale of the transformation within the squad.
Mourinho is also looking to add experience and leadership to the group, with Real Madrid’s transfer activity including the arrivals of Bernardo Silva and Marc Cucurella, as the club attempts to bring more experience into a squad undergoing another transition.
The upcoming Real Madrid vs. Real Sociedad clash, therefore, is more than just another La Liga fixture. It serves as a reminder of the last time the Basque side defeated Los Blancos while also showing just how dramatically Real Madrid have changed since that night.
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