Aston Villa fell to a 4-2 defeat by Copa del Rey holders Real Sociedad at Walsall's Bescot Stadium on Tuesday evening, in their third pre-season outing of the 2026/27 campaign, on a night that also saw the club confirm goalkeeper Gauci's departure on loan to Championship new boys Lincoln City.
Unai Emery's side led at the break through George Hemmings' clinical finish before two second-half goals from Orri Óskarsson either side of a Gorka Carrera strike, plus a stoppage-time effort from Iñaki Rupérez, saw the Spanish visitors come from behind twice to complete the turnaround. Brian Madjo's third goal of pre-season was the only response Villa could muster after the interval, on a night that also brought Pau Torres his first minutes of the summer, the Spaniard playing 45 minutes off the bench.
Summer signing João Gomes was given his first start of pre-season alongside Ross Barkley in midfield, behind a front four of Hemmings, Emi Buendía, Bradley Burrowes and Madjo, while Marco Bizot started in goal with captain Tyrone Mings partnered by Modou Kéba Cissé, Ian Maatsen and Matty Cash across the back line. Mings was forced into an early intervention, heading a corner off his own crossbar amid a bright start from the Basque club, but Villa gradually took control as the half wore on.
Ian Maatsen twice tested Álex Remiro inside the opening ten minutes, first with a stinging effort from distance and then by setting up Burrowes with a low cross that the Sociedad goalkeeper did well to smother. The breakthrough followed on 14 minutes when Maatsen again drove forward, this time picking out Hemmings inside the box, who curled a tidy finish in off the far post. Real Sociedad responded well, Yangel Herrera dragging a good chance wide before Carlos Soler levelled midway through the half, reacting quickest to convert after Marco Bizot had saved his initial effort.
Chances continued at both ends before the interval, with Bizot denying Soler again from range and Modou Kéba Cissé making a crucial last-ditch challenge to deny Óskarsson a one-on-one opportunity, the score level at the break.
Aston Villa made four changes at half-time, introducing James Wright, Lamare Bogarde, Luka Lynch and Pau Torres, but it was the visitors who struck first in the second period. Two minutes after Alex Marchal had gone close, an Ander Barrenetxea free-kick deflected through to Óskarsson at the far post, who forced the ball home from close range.
Villa hit back almost immediately, Madjo working space inside the area to notch his third goal of the pre-season, following his brace against Walsall the previous week. But Real Sociedad regained the lead ten minutes later when substitute Carrera, only just introduced, was slid through to finish coolly beyond Wright, before Iñaki Rupérez poked home on the line in the closing stages after Wright had spilled a cross from Job Ochieng, completing the scoring after Wright had earlier parried a long-range Arsen Zakharyan effort.
Villa's night away from the Bescot Stadium also brought a squad update, with the club confirming that goalkeeper Joe Gauci has joined newly-promoted Lincoln City on a season-long loan, a step up after his relegation with Port Vale last season. The Australia international made 41 appearances for Port Vale in League One last term, keeping 11 clean sheets as the Valiants went down, having previously spent the second half of the 2024/25 season on loan at Barnsley since joining Villa from Adelaide United in February 2024.
Gauci has made only two senior appearances for Villa, both in the Carabao Cup, and was left out of Australia's World Cup squad this summer despite being part of the Socceroos' pre-tournament training camp. At Lincoln, who are preparing for their first season in the second tier in 65 years, he will provide competition for the number one shirt alongside first-choice George Wickens and fellow goalkeeper Jamie Pardington, continuing a pattern of development loans that has now taken in three divisions of English football in as many seasons while Emiliano Martínez remains first choice at Villa Park.
Villa now travel to Asia for the next stage of their pre-season tour, facing Indonesia All Stars in Jakarta on Saturday.
Aston Villa: Bizot (Wright 46'); Cash (Broggio 68'), Kéba Cissé (Bogarde 46'), Mings (c) (Pau Torres 46'), Maatsen (Borland 75'); João Gomes (Rowe 75'), Barkley (Nedeljković 68'); Hemmings (Lynch 46'), Buendía (Jimoh-Aloba 75'), Burrowes; Madjo (Carroll 68'). Goals: Hemmings 14', Madjo 56'.
Real Sociedad: Á. Remiro; Aramburu (Rupérez 64'), Zubeldia (c) (Beitia 46'), Sergio Gómez (Kita 64'), Jon Martín (Aihen 64'); Herrera (Lebarbier 64'), C. Soler (Zakharyan 46'), Turrientes (Aguirre 64'); Marchal (Ochieng 64'), Barrenetxea (Díaz 64'), Óskarsson (Carrera 64'). Subs not used: Fraga, Pacheco, Javi López, Goti. Goals: Soler 22', Óskarsson 53', Carrera 66', Rupérez 88'.
Attendance: 9,269.