Real Sociedad – Levante, from turnstiles to team sheets: a matchday that starts before kickoff
At Anoeta on Saturday, real sociedad – levante begins long before the first whistle: music in the south esplanade, food trucks, a giant screen inside Keler Espazioa, and a practical deadline for members who need to handle access and security steps before heading to the gates.
What time is kickoff for Real Sociedad – Levante, and what opens first?
Kickoff is set for 14: 00 ET at Anoeta. The stadium doors open at 13: 00 ET, while the matchday build-up starts earlier: “Topagunea” runs from 12: 00 to 17: 00 ET on the south esplanade near Gate 13, with live music and food and drink options.
From 12: 00 to 13: 30 ET, Txintxarri Txaranga is scheduled to animate the pregame atmosphere. Inside Keler Espazioa, the Gastrogune, Children’s Zone, and LG Gaming areas operate from 12: 00 ET, and the match can be watched on a giant screen in the Gastrogune area, which remains open until 17: 00 ET.
There is also a live performance as part of “Reala Zuzenean Maketa Lehiaketa, ” a demo contest organized jointly by Real Sociedad and San Martín Merkatua. The fourth performance is set for El Guapo Calavera, described as a personal project by Mitxel Girón focused on original songs.
Why does the match matter for both teams?
The storyline of the day is split down the middle: Europe on one side, relegation fear on the other. Real Sociedad sits seventh in LaLiga with 38 points, while Levante arrives penultimate, three points from safety, with both teams treating the meeting as vital to their aims.
Real Sociedad comes into the game after losing its last match in Villarreal, yet remains in the European positions. The race is tight, with five teams separated by a single point around the battle for European places, and the sixth spot is three points away. Real Sociedad head coach Pellegrino Matarazzo has named a 24-player squad that includes Take Kubo, described as fully recovered after nearly three months out.
Real Sociedad will be without Jon Gorrotxategi due to discomfort that has persisted for a couple of weeks. Ibai Aguirre takes his place in the list, and central defender Luken Beitia is included in place of the injured Zubeldia. The preview also raises the possibility of some internationals being rested.
Levante arrives on a different emotional current, having put together four straight league matches without defeat for the first time this season, with two wins and two draws. That run has not lifted them out of the bottom places, but it has brought them within three points of staying up. The team is described as being driven by forward Carlos Espí, credited with six goals in the last four matches and named LaLiga’s Player of the Month for March.
Levante head coach Luís Castro has only two injury absences listed: Brugué and Elgezabal. Carlos Álvarez is said to be ready after recovering from an injury to the right long adductor suffered in late February, and Matías Moreno returns to the squad after serving a one-match suspension for an accumulation of yellow cards. Left out of the call are defender Diego Pampín and midfielder Unai Vencedor.
Which lineups are confirmed, and what should fans know before arriving?
On the field, the day’s shape is clear: the starting XIs have been confirmed. Real Sociedad starts with Remiro; Aramburu, Jon Martín, Çaleta Car, Sergio Gómez; Turrientes Soler, Barrenetxea, Sucic, Guedes; and Oyazarbal. Levante starts with Ryan; Moreno, Dela, Olasagasti, Víctor, Ike, Espí, Rey, Toljan, Manu Sánchez and Tunde.
That team sheet is the sharp end of a matchday that, off the pitch, is also about movement and access. Real Sociedad notes that thousands of members have already downloaded a new digital membership card in NFC format. Entry is possible with a physical membership card, a digital card, or a match ticket.
For members who cannot attend, the club notes that a membership card can be ceded either back to the club or to another person. To carry out either operation, the member must have updated their registration, and the management is required before 11: 00 ET for control and security reasons at access points.
Supporters approaching on foot from the East and Zabaleta stands are advised to exit and go around the stadium on the west side to avoid a corridor created by construction work in the northeast area. After the match, for security reasons, Plaza Aita Donostia is set to remain closed to traffic for 15 minutes; patience is requested from users of city buses.
There are also newly enabled parking areas near Anoeta, intended to replace Illunbe and reduce access difficulties. The listed viable locations include: Paseo Zorroaga 22 (direction Loiola), Paseo Zorroaga 26 (direction Loiola), Gregorio Ordoñez (direction Riberas de Loiola), inside the Anoeta ring, and Paseo Zorroaga – Social Hub (direction Anoeta), noted as parking only.
By the time the teams step out, the story of real sociedad – levante is already layered: a pregame plaza built for noise and community, a stadium learning new digital routines, and two clubs walking into the same hours with different fears and different needs.
