Aston Villa continued their pre-season preparations with a friendly against Spanish side Real Sociedad on Tuesday at the Pallet-Track Bescot Stadium in Walsall. The Aston Villa vs Real Sociedad clash offered both clubs another important test ahead of the 2026-27 campaign.
Villa entered the match looking to recover from a 2-1 defeat to FC Porto after lifting the Europa League title last season, while Real Sociedad arrived with confidence following a 2-1 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers. Both managers rotated their squads as several senior internationals remained unavailable after extended FIFA World Cup breaks.
The fixture also provided valuable minutes for first-team regulars and younger players as both sides continued building fitness and refining their tactical plans before the new season.
Aston Villa vs Real Sociedad Team News
Aston Villa continued to manage the workload of several senior players following their international commitments. Ollie Watkins, Emiliano Martínez, Ezri Konsa and Lucas Digne remained unavailable after extended World Cup breaks.
Villa were also without Amadou Onana, who continued his recovery from a long-term knee injury.
Real Sociedad traveled without captain Mikel Oyarzabal following his international campaign. Takefusa Kubo and Luka Sučić also missed the match as they continued building fitness during pre-season.
Match Details and How to Watch
The friendly kicked off at 7:30 p.m. BST (8:30 p.m. CEST) at the Pallet-Track Bescot Stadium in Walsall, England.
Supporters around the world could watch the Aston Villa vs Real Sociedad match live through VillaTV, Aston Villa’s official streaming platform. With the new season approaching, the contest gave both teams another valuable opportunity to improve match fitness, assess squad depth, and continue preparations against quality opposition.
Full-Time Update
Real Sociedad defeated Aston Villa 4-2 in an entertaining pre-season friendly on July 28, 2026, overcoming an early deficit with a clinical second-half display.
Key Match Moments
14′ Goal – Aston Villa 1-0 Real Sociedad: George Hemmings opens the scoring with a composed finish.
22′ Goal – Aston Villa 1-1 Real Sociedad: Carlos Soler equalizes after Marco Bizot saves the initial effort.
32′ Yellow Card – Real Sociedad: Beñat Turrientes is booked for a late challenge.
45′ Half-Time: The teams head into the break level at 1-1.
46′ Substitutions: Aston Villa introduce James Wright, Lamare Bogarde, Pau Torres, and Luka Lynch. Real Sociedad bring on Jon Ander Olasagasti Beitia and Arsen Zakharyan.
53′ Goal – Aston Villa 1-2 Real Sociedad: Orri Óskarsson scores from close range after a deflected free kick causes confusion in the box.
54′ Yellow Card – Real Sociedad: Jon Ander Olasagasti Beitia is cautioned moments after coming on.
56′ Goal – Aston Villa 2-2 Real Sociedad: Brian Madjo finishes from close range to restore parity.
64′ Multiple Substitutions – Real Sociedad: The visitors make sweeping changes, introducing fresh legs across the pitch.
66′ Goal – Aston Villa 2-3 Real Sociedad: Gorka Carrera finishes a quick counterattack to put the Spanish side back in front.
68′ Substitutions – Aston Villa: Ben Broggio, Kosta Nedeljković, and Todd Carroll replace Matty Cash, Ross Barkley, and Brian Madjo.
75′ Substitutions – Aston Villa: Borland, Rowe, and Jimoh-Aloba replace Ian Maatsen, João Gomes, and Emiliano Buendía.
88′ Goal – Aston Villa 2-4 Real Sociedad: Iñaki Rupérez capitalizes on a goalkeeping error by James Wright to seal the victory.
90′ Full-Time: The referee blows the final whistle as Real Sociedad complete a 4-2 pre-season win over Aston Villa.
Aston Villa vs Real Sociedad Results Today: Club Friendly Live Score, Updates, Stats