Two rounds into an eight-match Europa League league phase, the Atlantic coast clubs of Spain are already being asked difficult questions. Real Sociedad and Celta Vigo still have plenty of distance left to travel in the competition, but their early returns — one point from six for the Basque side and none for Celta — have fallen well below expectation.
The immediate task is not necessarily to chase a place among the top eight, though that route is becoming harder to picture after such a slow opening. Both sides first need victories to protect their prospects of finishing inside the top 24 and remaining in the tournament.
Celta arrived for Juventus with considerable optimism, only for the night to end in Turin with a 2-1 defeat. They were within reach of a valuable point until Randal Kolo Muani struck in stoppage time, leaving the visitors with nothing from a tightly contested occasion.
Real Sociedad endured a different but similarly painful finish in Belgium. The San Sebastián club appeared set to take all three points away from Union Saint-Gilloise, before the home side found a late equaliser. Instead of a first European win, La Real returned south with a draw that felt like an opportunity lost.
There are six fixtures still to play, enough time for both Spanish teams to repair the damage. Yet the early shape of the table means their next European evenings now carry more urgency than either club would have anticipated at the start of the campaign.
