Barcelona stumbled for a third straight match in the quest to defend their La Liga title after losing at Real Sociedad 1-0 on Saturday, letting Atletico Madrid and Real Madrid tighten the race even further.
Barcelona had 84 minutes to turn around Mikel Oyarzabal’ opening goal, but a stagnant attack in the first half and goalkeeper Geronimo Rulli’s late saves to deny Lionel Messi guaranteed some drama at the end of the season.
A middling team in La Liga for several seasons, Sociedad once again proved to be Barcelona’s peculiar nemesis as the league leaders failed to leave the Estadio Anoeta with a victory for a sixth consecutive visit.
Photo: Reuters
Barcelona’s latest defeat in San Sebastian came after Atletico Madrid fought back at RCD Espanyol to win 3-1 and Cristiano Ronaldo led Real Madrid’s 4-0 rout of Sociedad Deportiva Eibar.
Two rounds ago, Barcelona were nine points clear after a draw at Villarreal and the title race appeared to be decided, but now, after losses to Real Madrid and at Sociedad, Barcelona’s lead has dwindled to three points over Atletico and four over Real with six matches left.
Barcelona had not gone three league games without a win since May 2014 and had not lost two straight since November 2014.
“We had built up a cushion of points so we could, let’s say, allow ourselves to have some setbacks and now we have allowed about all we can,” Andres Iniesta said.
While Messi went a fourth straight match without a goal, Ronaldo reached the 30-goal mark in La Liga for a sixth season in a row.
Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane also rested several first-choice players for his team’s critical Champions League match tomorrow when Madrid need to overturn a 2-0 deficit to VfL Wolfsburg to make the semi-finals.
Little did it matter against modest Eibar as James Rodriguez opened the scoring with a free-kick in the fifth minute.
Ronaldo then set up goals for Lucas Vazquez and Jese Rodriguez on either side of his own strike to decide the result before halftime.
Diego Simeone held nothing back at Espanyol, despite Atletico’s own Champions League return leg against Barcelona on Wednesday, when the Catalan club visits with a 2-1 advantage.
Pape Diop gave Espanyol the lead near the half-hour mark, but Fernando Torres fired the equalizer in the 35th minute. Antoine Griezmann put Atletico in charge in the second half and extended his league scoring streak to seven matches with his 20th league goal.
Elsewhere, Real Betis Balompie edged bottom-of-the-table Levante UD 1-0 thanks to Ruben Castro.
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