The goals came via Ander Barrenetxea in the 67th minute and Takefusa Kubo on 85 minutes.

The three points not only boosted their European hopes but also left fans heading home with smiles on their faces.

Reflecting on the triumph, Alguacil said: "I'm thrilled and immensely satisfied. To win against a top side like Ajax, and to do it at home in front of our fans, is something special. Football is funny like that, this team, which had struggled to win at home, has now beaten two of Europe's most in-form teams. The players worked incredibly hard, and the supporters deserved to celebrate a night like this."

While some suggested the first-half performance left much to be desired, Alguacil offered a balanced perspective: "I was actually happy with parts of the first half, although we made a few costly mistakes that handed them three clear chances. These were not down to Ajax's brilliance but our own errors. If we can iron out those issues, this team has the potential to grow significantly.

"We're still not a mature side—we do a lot of things well but still make mistakes that cost us dearly, though thankfully not tonight."

The turning point came after half-time, with Alguacil explaining how adjustments made a difference: "I gave the players a bit of a telling-off and focused on correcting some details. The substitutions also helped us a lot. Turrientes made a strong impact, and players like Aramburu, Barrenetxea, and Kubo were outstanding. Aihen's resilience throughout the match was impressive too. It was a team effort, and every contribution counted."

Ajax manager Francesco Farioli suggested that Real Sociedad could be favourites to win the Europa League. However, Alguacil remained cautious: "That's flattering, but I don't think we're there yet. Hopefully, we can reach that level in the future.

"Performances like the second half today and the one against Barcelona show that we haven't reached our full potential. There's plenty of room for improvement."

Asked about the possibility of finishing in the top eight, Alguacil stayed grounded: "We'll take it one game at a time. If we compete as we did in the second half, we'll certainly be closer to achieving something significant. This squad has the quality to fight for big things, provided we stop giving away cheap chances."

Real Sociedad's resurgence, driven by tactical tweaks and standout individual contributions, highlights their promise as a team with much still to achieve.

Imanol Alguacil's joy as Real Sociedad shine against Ajax