SAN SEBASTIÁN, SPAIN — Federico Viñas delivered one of the most remarkable individual performances of the LaLiga season, completing a stunning hat-trick to help Real Oviedo snatch a 3-3 draw against Real Sociedad at Reale Arena in a match that defied all logic and left both sets of supporters breathless. The visitors, rooted to the foot of the table, twice came from behind in the dying minutes to deny their hosts what would have been a precious victory in a contest that swung wildly from one end to the other.
Real Sociedad dominated the ball with 62.2% possession, pinning Real Oviedo back for long stretches, yet it was the struggling visitors who drew first blood. Viñas opened the scoring in the 17th minute, his left-footed effort from outside the box saved initially by Álex Remiro before the Uruguayan striker made his presence felt in the second half in devastating fashion. The hosts had their chances before the break — Mikel Oyarzabal tested Aarón Escandell with a driven effort in the 5th minute, and Brais Méndez was denied again in the 43rd — but Oviedo's goalkeeper was equal to everything thrown at him.
The second half began as a nightmare for Real Sociedad. Viñas struck twice in the space of two minutes to put Oviedo firmly in control. First, in the 50th minute, he powered a header to the top left corner from a Haissem Hassan cross following a corner. Then, barely 120 seconds later, he nodded home from close range after another corner delivery, completing his hat-trick and sending the visiting supporters into raptures. Reale Arena fell eerily quiet as the home side suddenly found themselves two goals adrift.
Real Sociedad's response was to press relentlessly, and Orri Óskarsson provided the spark. The Icelandic forward met a Sergio Gómez cross with a precise header in the 64th minute, guiding the ball to the high centre of the goal to halve the deficit. Elustondo then tested Escandell again in the 71st minute, the goalkeeper producing another fine stop to keep Oviedo ahead. Real Oviedo's goalkeeper was called into action five times across the match, and his performance was nothing short of heroic given the pressure his side faced.
The drama reached its peak in the final minutes. Duje Caleta-Car rose to meet a corner and headed home from the six-yard box in the 87th minute to level at 2-2, sending Reale Arena into a frenzy. Then, in the 90th minute, Óskarsson struck again — latching onto a Gonçalo Guedes pass following a rapid counter-attack and firing low into the centre of the goal to seemingly win it for the hosts. The stadium erupted. But Oviedo, showing the kind of spirit that belies their league position, refused to fold. Deep into added time, Eric Bailly rose to meet a Santi Cazorla cross from a corner and headed emphatically into the bottom left corner in the 90+2' to make it 3-3. Guedes then struck the left post in the 90+9' as Sociedad desperately sought a winner that never came.
The statistics told a story of Real Sociedad's dominance without reward. They registered 15 shots to Oviedo's 14, with eight on target compared to six for the visitors. Brais Méndez picked up a yellow card in the 81st minute, while Kwasi Sibo was booked for Oviedo in the 70th. Real Sociedad committed 13 fouls to Oviedo's 16, reflecting the physical nature of a contest that never allowed either side to settle into a comfortable rhythm. Yangel Herrera and Sergio Gómez were prominent in midfield for the hosts, while Javi López caused problems down Oviedo's left flank throughout.
The point leaves Real Sociedad in 9th place with 31 points, a result that will feel more like a defeat given how close they came to three points. For Oviedo, still anchored in 20th with 16 points and a goal difference of -23, the draw offers a sliver of hope but does little to ease their relegation fears. Both sides return to action on February 28 — Real Sociedad travel to Mallorca, while Oviedo face the daunting task of visiting Atlético Madrid. For the visitors, every point between now and the end of the season could prove the difference between survival and the drop.