diff --git a/pyodmongo/services/aggregate_stages.py b/pyodmongo/services/aggregate_stages.py
index 3bdcd81..3c71a29 100644
--- a/pyodmongo/services/aggregate_stages.py
+++ b/pyodmongo/services/aggregate_stages.py
@@ -100,7 +100,9 @@ def set_(local_field: str, as_: str):
     return pipeline
 
 
-def group_set_replace_root(id_: list[str], array_index: str, field: str, path_str: str):
+def group_set_replace_root(
+    to_sort: dict, id_: list[str], array_index: str, field: str, path_str: str
+):
     """
     Constructs a combination of group, set, and replaceRoot stages for a MongoDB aggregation pipeline.
 
@@ -118,6 +120,7 @@ def group_set_replace_root(id_: list[str], array_index: str, field: str, path_st
         to the top-level.
     """
     return [
+        {"$sort": to_sort},
         {
             "$group": {
                 "_id": id_,
diff --git a/pyodmongo/services/reference_pipeline.py b/pyodmongo/services/reference_pipeline.py
index 4158a1a..2fc798d 100644
--- a/pyodmongo/services/reference_pipeline.py
+++ b/pyodmongo/services/reference_pipeline.py
@@ -98,17 +98,21 @@ def resolve_reference_pipeline(
         if not db_field.is_list:
             pipeline += set_(local_field=path_str, as_=path_str)
 
+        index_to_unset = []
         for index, path_str in enumerate(reversed(paths_str_to_group)):
             id_ = [
                 f"${e}" for e in unwind_index_list[: len(unwind_index_list) - index - 1]
             ]
-            to_unset = unwind_index_list[-(index + 1)]
+            index_to_unset.append(unwind_index_list[-(index + 1)])
+            to_sort = {key: 1 for key in unwind_index_list[1:]}
             pipeline += group_set_replace_root(
-                id_=[id_],
+                to_sort=to_sort,
+                id_=id_,
                 array_index=unwind_index_list[-1],
                 field=path_str.split(".")[-1],
                 path_str=path_str,
             )
-            pipeline += unset(fields=[to_unset])
+        if len(index_to_unset) > 0:
+            pipeline += unset(fields=index_to_unset)
 
     return pipeline