A roundup of Saturday’s action in Spain’s top flight…
[ MORE: Saturday’s PL roundup | Sunday preview ]
Sporting Gijon 2-3 Real Madrid
If Saturday taught us anything, it’s that the title race is anything but a foregone conclusion. Madrid found themselves a goal down after 14 minutes, and again five minutes into the second half. Fortunately for Zinedine Zidane’s side, the two deficits lasted a combined 12 minutes.
Isco pulled Los Blancos back to 1-1 three minutes after they fell behind, just as Alvaro Morata did the same in the 59th minute.
Through 89 minutes, Madrid looked destined to drop a pair of points that would allow Barcelona to close the gap in the title race to just a single point, with the season’s final El Clasico to be played next Sunday. Then, in the 90th minute, up popped Isco with a low, powerful strike to break the deadlock and improve Madrid’s recent run of results to seven wins in nine games as the season winds down.
| Team | GP | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Home | Away | PTS |
| Real Madrid | 31 | 23 | 6 | 2 | 82 | 33 | 49 | 12-4-0 | 11-2-2 | 75 |
| Barcelona | 32 | 22 | 6 | 4 | 91 | 30 | 61 | 12-3-1 | 10-3-3 | 72 |
| Atlético Madrid | 32 | 19 | 8 | 5 | 59 | 24 | 35 | 12-2-2 | 7-6-3 | 65 |
| Sevilla | 31 | 18 | 7 | 6 | 56 | 39 | 17 | 11-3-1 | 7-4-5 | 61 |
| Villarreal | 31 | 15 | 9 | 7 | 45 | 24 | 21 | 9-3-4 | 6-6-3 | 54 |
| Athletic | 32 | 16 | 5 | 11 | 45 | 37 | 8 | 12-3-2 | 4-2-9 | 53 |
| Real Sociedad | 32 | 16 | 4 | 12 | 48 | 45 | 3 | 8-4-4 | 8-0-8 | 52 |
| Eibar | 31 | 14 | 8 | 9 | 52 | 42 | 10 | 9-3-4 | 5-5-5 | 50 |
| Espanyol | 31 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 43 | 42 | 1 | 8-5-3 | 4-5-6 | 46 |
Barcelona 3-2 Real Sociedad
If the last two months have taught us anything, it’s that Barcelona might just be incapable of taking advantage of any and/or every Madrid slip-up. On Saturday, Luis Enrique’s side did what they had to do in order to heap maximum consequence on next weekend’s showdown at the Camp Nou.
Lionel Messi made it 1-0 and 2-0 in the 17th and 37th minutes, but Samuel Umtiti gave one back via an own goal five minutes later. Messi’s brace give the 29-year-old (yes, still) Argentine 498 goals across all official competitions for Barca.
Two minutes later, Paco Alcacer re-established the two-goal lead for all of three minutes of game time. Two minutes into the second half, Xabi Prieto made it 2-1, which is how things would end.
Elsewhere in La Liga
Atletico Madrid 3-0 Osasuna
Deportivo La Coruña 2-0 Malaga
Sunday’s La Liga schedule
Leganes vs. Espanyol — 6 a.m. ET
Valencia vs. Sevilla — 10:15 a.m. ET
Real Betis vs. Eibar — 12:30 p.m. ET
Granada vs. Celta Vigo — 2:45 p.m. ET