Madrid: Barcelona beat Real Sociedad 2-1 in the Nou Camp to keep alive their title hopes and remain seven points behind leaders Madrid, who earlier had beaten Getafe 1-0 thanks to a Sergio Ramos goal.
Barca coach Pep Guardiola put his trust in youth and was repaid when twenty year-old Cristian Tello opened the scoring in his first full game for the club yesterday.
Lionel Messi extended Barca’s lead on 72 minutes a minute before Carlos Vela pulled one back for Sociedad.
The game kicked off in freezing temperatures and burst into life on four minutes when first Messi was denied by Sociedad keeper Claudio Bravo, before Victor Valdes blocked from Diego Ifran at the other end.
Four minutes later and Barca were ahead when Tello beat the advancing Bravo to convert a slide rule pass from Messi.
Messi was the provider again on 26 minutes when it was Fabregas who shot just high and Sociedad were struggling to make any headway against the quick passing Barca.
Next it was Jonathan Dos Santos, starting his first league game of the season, who tried from long range and forced Bravo into a save. On the stroke of half-time Dani Alves shot wide from close range and Messi had a shot blocked by Bravo seven minutes into the second-half.
Messi again was close to adding the second on 63 minutes when he rounded Bravo only for centre-half Inigo Martinez to block his goal bound effort, but he was to finally hit the target on 72 minutes.
The little Argentinian was quick to latch onto Dani Alves’ chipped pass and beat Bravo with a flick of the left foot to make sure he did not complete four consecutive games without a goal. Vela grabbed one back for the visitors, cooly finishing an Antoine Griezmann pass, and the lead was back to the single goal it had been for nearly all the game.
Barca lost Sergi Busquets to what seemed to be a nasty knee injury in the closing stages but held on for the all important three points.
Earlier Real Madrid overcame windy conditions to win 1-0 at Getafe when Ramos outjumped Getafe defender Juan Valera to head home a Mesut Ozil corner for the only goal of the game on 18 minutes.
Without ever getting into top gear ‘los blancos’ did enough to deserve the points at the scene of Barcelona’s only defeat this season, but they had to survive a clear shout for a penalty by the home team in the second period. (AFP)