Barcelona are one victory away from clinching the Spanish league title after Real Madrid fell four points adrift on Saturday, when Cristiano Ronaldo missed a penalty in a 2-2 home draw to Valencia.
Barcelona cruised to a 2-0 win over Real Sociedad at the Camp Nou to put the pressure on Madrid with only two more matches to play.
Madrid appeared set to keep pace after Gareth Bale and Ronaldo hit the woodwork early on, but Paco Alcacer and Javi Fuego struck for Valencia, before goalkeeper Diego Alves smothered Ronaldo’s spot-kick in first-half stoppage-time.
Photo: Reuters
Pepe and Francisco “Isco” Alarcon leveled for Madrid in a dramatic second half at the Santiago Bernabeu that concluded with Valencia clinging to a draw that may cost the hosts the title.
Barcelona can dethrone Atletico Madrid with a win at their Vicente Calderon in the next round if, and when, that match is played.
The final two rounds are in doubt after the Spanish federation announced it was suspending all matches from next Saturday in protest at a proposed law regulating the sale of broadcasting rights.
After a second slip to fourth-placed Valencia this season, Madrid’s best chance for silverware depends on overturning its 2-1 loss to Juventus in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League semi-final on Wednesday.
“It’s very difficult for us now, but we have to wear these colors with pride and try to win our games,” Pepe said. “We have to pick ourselves up for Wednesday’s match.”
Bale curled a free-kick off one corner of the woodwork in the 14th minute and four minutes later Ronaldo thumped a header off the other as Madrid looked set to romp.
However, that was when Jose Gaya, the 19-year-old leftback who ended months-long rumors of a move to Madrid by extending his contract on Friday, placed a perfect cross for Alcacer to stab under goalkeeper Iker Casillas in the 19th minute.
The Madrid crowd then received the double blow of midfielder Toni Kroos leaving with a left-thigh injury a minute before Fuego was left unmarked to head in Dani Parejo’s free-kick in the 26th minute.
After Madrid’s Javier Hernandez also hit the post, Gaya gave Real a lifeline when he fouled Bale in the penalty area just before halftime, but Alves increased his fame as a spot-kick specialist by saving Ronaldo’s effort.
Pepe powered in a header from a James Rodriguez corner to halve the difference in the 51st minute and Valencia had settled on defending when Isco curled in a long-range strike with six minutes to go, sparking a last-gasp push by Madrid that ended only with the final whistle.
“The result isn’t good, but the match was the complete opposite,” Real Madrid coach Carlo Ancelotti said. “We fought until the end and had many chances to score... but it wasn’t enough.”
Sociedad were fortunate to escape with a scoreless first half at Camp Nou, but Neymar broke through in the 51st minute with his 35th goal of the season after Lionel Messi’s pass was headed on by a defender for the Brazilian to nod home.
Substitute Pedro Rodriguez netted from an acrobatic bicycle-kick to secure the points with five minutes left, in a rare moment to shine for the forward, who has spent most of the campaign on the bench.
“These three points were vital,” Barcelona coach Luis Enrique said. “The outcome was never in doubt. My players never let up for even a second.”
Barcelona’s 1-0 loss at Sociedad on Jan. 4 marked the low-point of the Catalan club’s season. Since then they have won 28 of their 30 games and are in the running for three trophies — having reached the final of the Copa del Rey and with one foot in the UEFA Champions League final after beating Bayern Munich 3-0 last week. The second leg of their semi-final is tomorrow.
There was also drama in the fight to avoid relegation as Albert Lopo’s last-gasp header salvaged RC Deportivo de La Coruna a 1-1 draw at Athletic Bilbao.
Deportivo, Sociedad Deportiva Eibar and Granada, who earlier beat already-relegated Cordoba 2-0, were left tied on 31 points, but the tiebreakers meant Deportivo escaped the relegation zone, while Granada were left in 18th place and Eibar fell to 19th.
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