Takefusa Kubo’s goal led Sociedad to their first victory in 6 La Liga matches

Japanese striker Takefusa Kubo scored the opener as Real Sociedad beat Valencia 3-0 at home on Saturday for their first victory in six games in Spain’s La Liga.

An unmarked Kubo headed home from Sergio Gomez’s low cross in the eighth minute of the match at the Reale Arena. His second goal of the season ended Sociedad’s four-game drought.

Real Sociedad striker Takefusa Kubo (left) celebrates after opening the goal in the first half of a Spanish La Liga match against Valencia in San Sebastian, Spain, September 28, 2024 (Kyodo)

Twenty-year-old Icelandic striker Orri Oskarsson scored two late goals from close range as Sociedad won the league for the first time since August 24, when Kubo scored the only away goal against Espanyol.

“We managed to play the football we imagined at the beginning of the season,” Kubo, voted man of the match, said in a post-match TV interview. “If we keep doing this, we can make progress.”

The 23-year-old scored nine goals in his first season at Sociedad and scored seven last season. When he scores, his team remains undefeated in matches.

“I didn’t score many goals, and if I can score more, I’m sure our team should win,” he said.

In the Scottish Premiership, Kyogo Furuhashi scored a double and Daizen Maeda also scored as Celtic beat St. Johnstone 6-0 away.

Celtic’s Kyogo Furuhashi (left) opens the scoring in the first half of the Scottish Premiership match against St. Johnstone in Perth, Scotland, September 28, 2024 (Kyodo)

Celtic’s Kyogo Furuhashi (right) scores his second goal in the first half of the Scottish Premiership match against St. Johnstone in Perth, Scotland, September 28, 2024 (Kyodo)

After running behind the opponent’s defense and heading for an opening in the 35th minute, Furuhashi scored Paulo Bernardo’s second goal from outside the penalty area in the 43rd minute, and two minutes later he met Greg Taylor’s cross to make it 3-0.

Fellow striker Maeda scored the league leaders’ fifth goal of the day, heading in a cross from Bernardo in the 72nd minute.

Celtic’s Daizen Maeda (front) scores with a header in the second half of the Scottish Premiership match against St. Johnstone in Perth, Scotland, September 28, 2024 (Kyodo)

Midfielder Hidemasa Morita scored his first goal of the season for Portuguese champions Sporting Lisbon on Friday, netting the second goal in the 31st minute of a 3-0 win over Estoril, helping the team maintain their perfect start to the season after seven games.

Related scope:

Soccer: Japan beat North Korea in the final of the U-20 Women’s World Cup

Football: J-League clubs ready for new challenges in ACL Elite

Football: Nakamura scores for the second game in a row as Reims takes over PSG