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Coach of matchday 12: Pellegrino Matarazzo and Real Sociedad's 1-0 win over Rayo Vallecano

Published: 5 min. read
Editorial montage of Pellegrino Matarazzo, Real Sociedad coach, with the Real Sociedad and Rayo Vallecano crests
AI-generated image
Pellegrino Matarazzo
Pellegrino Matarazzo#5
Real Sociedad
Coach of the matchday 12

The key coaching takeawayPressing from the left flank with Aihen and Barrenetxea and swapping the centre-backs' roles, with Zubeldia on De Frutos and Jon Martín on Camello.

3.15pts× 1.05

3 points for the win × 1.05 multiplier

Real Sociedad
1–0
Rayo Vallecano
  • 67' Óskarsson
  • No goals
8 November 2026Matchday 12

Matchday podium

Points this matchday

  1. #13.15 pts

    Pellegrino Matarazzo

    Real Sociedad

    1–0 · Rayo Vallecano

    Home · ×1.05 · Goal difference: +1

  2. #23.00 pts

    José Alberto López

    Racing de Santander

    1–2 · Málaga CF

    Away · ×1 · Goal difference: +1

  3. #32.78 pts

    Hansi Flick

    FC Barcelona

    1–2 · Atlético de Madrid

    Away · ×0.925 · Goal difference: +1

RutaMister coaches standings · Matchday 12

RutaMister's own ranking: cumulative points of the 20 LaLiga 2026/27 head coaches after 12 matchdays.

#MoveCoachPts.
1=
Hansi Flick
FC Barcelona
24.67
2+1
José Mourinho
Real Madrid
23.40
3+1
Manuel Pellegrini
Real Betis
22.48
4-2
Diego Simeone
Atlético de Madrid
21.65
5+1
Pellegrino Matarazzo
Real Sociedad
20.08
See positions 6 to 20
6+1
Antonio Hidalgo
RC Deportivo
18.12
7-2
Luis García
Sevilla FC
17.95
8=
Edin Terzić
Athletic Club
17.40
9+1
José Alberto López
Racing de Santander
15.92
10-1
Quique Sánchez Flores
Deportivo Alavés
14.23
11+1
Luís Castro
Levante UD
12.28
12+4
Iñigo Pérez
Villarreal CF
11.35
13-2
Martín Anselmi
Elche CF
11.32
14-1
Beñat San José
Rayo Vallecano
10.75
15-1
Claudio Giráldez
RC Celta
10.45
16-1
José Bordalás
Getafe CF
9.45
17=
Juan Francisco Funes
Málaga CF
5.73
18=
Javier Aguirre
Valencia CF
4.22
19+1
Jagoba Arrasate
CA Osasuna
3.97
20=
ES
Eder Sarabia
RCD Espanyol
0.80

Points = result base × previous-position multiplier. Source: football-data.co.uk. · Photos: credits

Three coaching decisions under the microscope

RutaMister reading: we analyse three decisions by Pellegrino Matarazzo in Real Sociedad's 1-0 win over Rayo Vallecano. We start from the match reports and his post-match comments. The effects described are observable; the tactical intentions are an editorial interpretation, not confirmed instructions from the coaching staff.

1. Seven changes to the eleven

Problem: Real Sociedad came off eight games in four weeks, without Oyarzabal and Mamadou Sarr. Observed decision: only Aramburu, Zubeldia, Barrenetxea and Óskarsson kept their place from Thursday. Effect: the team had 17 shots to Rayo's 11 and kept a clean sheet. The goalless first half and the late goal mean the result cannot be credited to the rotation.

2. Pressing from the left flank and centre-backs in new roles

Problem: slowing Rayo's build-up and De Frutos, and stepping out on Camello, who played as a false nine. Observed decision: Aihen and Barrenetxea started the press from the left instead of pressing head-on. Zubeldia moved to the left of the back line and Jon Martín to the right. Effect: Real Sociedad dominated the first half and conceded nothing. Rayo had chances in the second, such as De Frutos's volley saved by Remiro, and Isi Palazón's post in stoppage time.

3. The double substitution in the 62nd minute

Problem: the match was still 0-0 and Óskarsson, Sucic and Kubo had missed chances. Observed decision: Guedes came on for Kubo and Fort for Aramburu. Effect: the goal came five minutes later. Óskarsson scored it on the counter, played through by Barrenetxea. Both were starters, so the goal does not show that the double change caused it.

1Remiro2Aramburu3Jon Martín4Zubeldia5Aihen6Turrientes7Soler8Kubo9Sucic10Barrenetxea11Óskarsson

Starting XI in 4-2-3-1

The match in 90 minutes

Real Sociedad beat Rayo Vallecano 1-0 at Anoeta on Sunday 8 November. Matarazzo lined up Remiro; Aramburu, Jon Martín, Zubeldia, Aihen; Turrientes, Carlos Soler; Kubo, Sucic, Barrenetxea; Óskarsson.

The first half belonged to the home side and ended 0-0. Óskarsson had a chance in the first minute, and Sucic and Kubo also missed.

The second half opened up. Zubeldia was booked in the 50th minute and Turrientes in the 61st. De Frutos tried a volley in the 59th minute that Remiro saved, and Pedro Díaz sent a shot over the bar in the 64th.

Óskarsson scored in the 67th minute. Barrenetxea played him through on a counter-attack, and the striker finished low with his right foot. It was the only goal.

Rayo finished strongly without reward. They made a triple substitution in the 79th minute and in stoppage time Isi Palazón hit the post. Real Sociedad lost Barrenetxea (71st) and Aihen (84th) to injury.

Home goalAway goalSubCard
  1. 34', Card: Yellow card for Tsitaishvili (Rayo Vallecano).
  2. 50', Card: Yellow card for Zubeldia (Real Sociedad).
  3. 61', Card: Yellow card for Turrientes (Real Sociedad).
  4. 62', Sub: Real Sociedad substitution: Gonçalo Guedes replaces Kubo.
  5. 62', Sub: Real Sociedad substitution: Héctor Fort replaces Aramburu.
  6. 67', Goal: 1-0 Óskarsson, assisted by Barrenetxea with a through ball on the counter-attack; low right-footed finish.
  7. 71', Sub: Real Sociedad substitution: Job Ochieng replaces the injured Barrenetxea.
  8. 72', Sub: Real Sociedad substitution: Jon Gorrotxategi replaces the booked Turrientes.
  9. 79', Sub: Triple substitution for Rayo Vallecano: Vertrouwd for Pedrosa, Gnangoro for Unai López and Isi Palazón for Mujaid.
  10. 84', Sub: Real Sociedad substitution: Sergio Gómez replaces the injured Aihen.
  11. 91', Note: Isi Palazón hits the post with a shot in stoppage time.

What the coach said

Matarazzo spoke about suffering and defending well, and about the rotations. Two lines from him after the match (translated from Spanish):

“When you are not sharp in attack, it is very important to know how to suffer and defend well to win this type of match.”Post-match comments, 8 November 2026 (translation of the original Spanish)
“We had played eight games in recent weeks and that shows in performance, so we made seven changes to have fresher players.”Post-match comments, 8 November 2026 (translation of the original Spanish)

The substitutions

MinuteOffOnScore
62'KuboGuedes0-0
62'AramburuFort0-0
71'BarrenetxeaOchieng1-0
72'TurrientesGorrotxategi1-0
84'AihenSergio Gómez1-0

Take it to training: pressing from one flank and breaking fast after winning the ball

Task proposed by RutaMister, inspired by the analysis. The exercise is ours, not Matarazzo's. Goal: the team pushes the opponent towards one flank, wins the ball and breaks quickly towards the other goal.

  • Players: 6 v 6 with goalkeepers; the team without the ball presses.
  • Space: 40x30 metres, with a 5-metre channel marked on the left flank.
  • Duration: 4 blocks of 5 minutes, with 2 minutes of rest.
  • Organisation: the team with the ball always builds from its goalkeeper. The team without the ball starts pressing from the channel and switches sides each block.
  • Rule: a goal scored within 8 seconds of winning the ball in the channel counts double.
  • Instruction: the first player closes the inside pass and pushes the opponent towards the flank; the others move up together.

Coach's correction: "Close the inside, push them to the touchline, and everyone goes together when we win it."

What to watch: whether the first presser closes the inside pass and whether teammates close in at the same time, or arrive late and leave gaps.

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Coach profile

Pellegrino Matarazzo · 48 years old · Estados Unidos e Italia · Real Sociedad since 20/12/2025

Career

  1. 1899 Hoffenheim (asistente) · 2018-2019
  2. VfB Stuttgart (Alemania) · 2019-2022
  3. 1899 Hoffenheim (Alemania) · 2023-2024
  4. Real Sociedad (España) · 2025-actualidad

Honours

  • Copa del Rey (Real Sociedad, 2025-26)
Profile sources: Wikipedia ES · Wikidata Q80310717

About the author

RutaMister logo
Equipo RutaMister
Equipo editorial

Contenido elaborado por RutaMister a partir de experiencia práctica, revisión editorial y enfoque formativo para entrenadores de fútbol base.

Frequently asked questions

How are Coach of the Matchday points calculated?

Each coach starts from a base of 3 points for a win, 1 for a draw and 0 for a loss. That base is multiplied by 1 + (own previous position − opponent previous position) / 40, capped between 0.5 and 1.8: the lower the team started and the higher the opponent, the bigger the multiplier.

Why does Pellegrino Matarazzo score 3.15 points?

A win is worth 3 points. The multiplier is 1 + (10 − 8) / 40 = 1.05: Real Sociedad finished 10th and Rayo Vallecano 8th in 2025/26, and 3 × 1.05 = 3.15. With that, Matarazzo has 20.08 points and sits 5th in the RutaMister Standings.

Is this a fantasy game like Biwenger or Mister Fantasy?

No. Coach of the matchday is RutaMister's own editorial ranking of LaLiga head coaches, not players, and requires no squad-building or competing against other users. Biwenger, Mister Fantasy or Comunio are player fantasy games; this is an editorial piece about dugout management.

Sources