BARCELONA – Barcelona’s poor run away to Real Sociedad continued when the champion was held to a 1-1 draw at Anoeta Sunday and slipped six points behind La Liga leader Real Madrid before next week’s “Clasico” against its archrival.
Former Real Madrid academy player Willian Jose headed Real Sociedad ahead in the 53rd minute after a torrid first-half performance by Barca but Lionel Messi levelled in the 59th following a magnificent display of skill by Neymar.
Barca enjoyed some luck when Sociedad’s Juanmi headed home after Carlos Vela had curled a shot off the underside of the bar and saw the goal wrongly ruled offside, while Mexican forward Vela hit the woodwork again late on.
Barca has not won away to Real Sociedad since 2007 although this was the first time in five league games at Anoeta that it had avoided defeat.
Luis Enrique›s side is second in the standings on 27 points, six behind Real Madrid and level on points with Sevilla in third. Atletico Madrid is fourth on 24 after winning 3-0 at Osasuna, while Real Sociedad is fifth on 23.
Villarreal slipped to sixth after a surprise 2-0 defeat at home to Alaves.
Earlier Sunday, Atletico put last week’s painful 3-0 defeat by Real Madrid behind it by beating Osasuna by the same scoreline.
Villarreal felt the strain of returning to action less than 72 hours after its Europa League game away to Zurich and was beaten by two early goals from Alaves’ Ibai Gomez and Victor Camarasa to surrender its unbeaten home record.
Celta Vigo beat winless Granada 3-1 in Sunday’s other game.
Roma, Milan close in
In Milan, a quickfire brace from Giovanni Simeone, the son of Atletico Madrid coach Diego, carved the Serie A title race open Sunday as Genoa claimed a stunning 3-1 win over leader Juventus.
Juve’s third defeat of a season left the Turin giant just four points ahead of Roma, 3-2 winner over Pescara thanks to an Edin Dzeko brace, and on-form AC, which beat Empoli 4-1 away Saturday. Elsewhere Crotone moved off bottom spot thanks to a 1-1 home draw with Sampdoria, thanks also to Palermo’s earlier 1-0 defeat to Lazio that sent the Sicilians to rock bottom.
Lazio is up to third, just five points behind Juve.
PSG beats Lyon
In Paris, Paris Saint-Germain closed to within a point of leader Nice in Ligue 1 Sunday as Edinson Cavani’s brace secured an impressive 2-1 win away to Lyon.
Nice finishes the weekend where it started it, on top of the table, but it is now only a single point better off than in-form Monaco and Paris.
Saint-Etienne won 2-1 at Angers earlier in the day to go eighth.
Ibisevic scores 100th goal
In Berlin, veteran forward Vedad Ibisevic scored twice, taking his career tally of Bundesliga goals to 100, only to get himself sent off as Hertha Berlin beat Mainz 05 2-1 Sunday to go third.
Schalke 04 continued its recovery from a disastrous start to the season when it beat Darmstadt 3-1 on an eventful afternoon for Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting who set up one goal, scored another and missed a penalty.
Ibisevic, 32, reached his milestone on his 240th Bundesliga appearance, playing for his fourth club.
