Real Sociedad’s hopes of qualifying for the UEFA Champions League for the first time in a decade suffered a setback when they surrendered the lead and lost 2-1 at fellow European hopefuls Getafe in La Liga on Monday.
The Basque club’s reverse at Getafe’s Coliseum Alfonso Perez in Madrid means they still occupy fourth and Spain’s final qualification berth for Europe’s elite club competition, but their lead over fifth-placed Valencia has been cut to two points after Valencia’s 4-0 win at home to CA Osasuna on Saturday.
San Sebastian-based Sociedad have 58 points with four matches left, while Valencia are on 56 and Malaga are on 53 in sixth. Getafe are eighth on 47 points and still have a chance of securing a place in the Europa League.
Photo: AFP
Carlos Vela gave Sociedad a fourth-minute lead, but the home side turned the match around thanks to goals from Pedro Leon in the 18th minute and Abdelaziz Barrada six minutes before halftime.
Under French coach Philippe Montanier, Sociedad have played some of the most entertaining soccer of the season and are the only team apart from Real Madrid to have beaten leaders Barcelona.
They lacked inspiration in their latest outing, though, and were fortunate not to concede a third goal in stoppage-time when Angel Lafita skewed a shot wide with the goal at his mercy.
Photo: AFP
“We played really badly, but there are always days like this,” Sociedad forward Antoine Griezmann said in an interview with TV channel Cuatro.
“We are still two points ahead [of Valencia] and we have a crucial game coming up [at home to Granada next Monday],” the Frenchman added.
Sociedad’s golden period came in the 1980s when they twice won La Liga and reached the European Cup semi-finals in 1982-1983, where they fell to eventual winners Hamburg SV.
More recently, they spent three successive years in the second division, before winning promotion in the 2009-2010 season.
Fourth place is their best result since they were second in 2002-2003.
MOTHER KNOWS BEST: Warriors’ coach Kerr said his 91-year-old mother criticized him for his attitude toward officials that led to his ejection from Monday’s game Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Wednesday rescued the Oklahoma City Thunder with a game-tying buzzer-beater before finishing with 46 points in a 129-125 overtime victory against the Utah Jazz. The reigning NBA champions looked to be heading for a third straight loss after the Jazz inched into a 114-112 lead following Lauri Markkanen’s layup with just three seconds remaining in the fourth quarter. However, NBA Most Valuable Player Gilgeous-Alexander drained a superb 13-foot jump shot to tie it up at 114-114 as the buzzer sounded to send the game into overtime. Gilgeous-Alexander then took over in the extra period with nine points as the Western
Manchester City have confirmed defender Josko Gvardiol suffered a broken leg in Sunday’s 1-1 draw with Chelsea at the Etihad Stadium. Gvardiol was one of two City centerbacks who went off injured in the second half, along with Ruben Dias, before Enzo Fernandez scored a stoppage-time equalizer for the visitors. The draw left second-placed City six points behind English Premier League leaders Arsenal. City, announcing Gvardiol sustained a tibial fracture to his right leg, added in a statement issued on Monday: “The defender will have surgery later this week and assessment remains ongoing to ascertain the full extent of the
AUSTRALIAN ADVENTURE: Sabalenka aims to follow up with a third Australian Open win, while Taiwanese Joanna Garland claimed a WTA 125 title in Canberra Aryna Sabalenka beat Karolina Muchova in straight sets to reach her third Brisbane International final in a row yesterday, a week ahead of the Australian Open. Sabalenka looked in great touch against the tricky Czech, who had won their last three meetings and went into the match as one of the few players with a winning record over the world No. 1. However, Sabalenka showed her class and power as she broke Muchova once in each set to take the semi-final 6-3, 6-4 in 89 minutes to face Ukraine’s Marta Kostyuk in the final. “I struggled against her a couple of times [in
Mohamed Salah’s Egypt knocked reigning champions Ivory Coast out of the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) with a 3-2 win in the quarter-finals on Saturday, while Victor Osimhen starred as Nigeria beat Algeria 2-0 to set up a clash with hosts Morocco. In Agadir, Morocco, a thrilling last-eight tie saw Omar Marmoush and Ramy Rabia net in the first half for the Pharaohs before an own goal by Ahmed Aboul-Fetouh brought the Ivorians back into it. Salah then got Egypt’s third early in the second half and they held on after Guela Doue again reduced the deficit. Egypt is to face Senegal
RSS