Harambee Stars winger Job Ochieng’ was in action for Real Sociedad as they suffered a 4-1 defeat to Real Madrid in their La Liga opener at the Santiago Bernabéu on Wednesday night.
Ochieng’ was handed a starting berth as Real Sociedad travelled to the Spanish capital hoping to frustrate the hosts in their first home league fixture of the season. However, Real Madrid’s attacking quality proved too much, with Kylian Mbappé producing a match-winning display.
The French forward opened the scoring in the 40th minute after Federico Valverde carried the ball forward before finding Mbappé, who made no mistake with a powerful finish.
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Real Sociedad responded just before the break when Luka Sučić reacted quickest to a rebound from Job Ochieng’s deflected short inside the box to restore parity and send the two teams into the interval level at 1-1.
The visitors remained competitive early in the second half, but Real Madrid gradually took control of the contest. Mbappé restored Madrid’s advantage in the 60th minute after combining with Jude Bellingham inside the penalty area before finishing first-time.
Eight minutes later, Vinícius Júnior extended the home side’s lead after Bellingham won possession inside the box and set up the Brazilian, who calmly found the back of the net.
Mbappé completed his hat-trick in the 80th minute with a delightful finish after receiving a spectacular pass from Vinícius. The goal effectively put the result beyond doubt as Real Madrid wrapped up a convincing 4-1 victory.
For Ochieng’, the appearance represents another important experience at the highest level of Spanish football. The Harambee Stars winger had the opportunity to test himself against a Real Madrid side packed with world-class talent, including Mbappé, Vinícius and Bellingham.
Despite Real Sociedad’s disappointing result, Ochieng’ will hope to build on the opportunity and continue earning valuable minutes as the season progresses.
Real Madrid, meanwhile, made a perfect start to their home campaign, with Mbappé’s hat-trick ensuring José Mourinho’s side collected all three points in emphatic fashion.