Gareth Bale misses match due to injury
Sunday 6 January 2019 21:49, UK
Real Madrid saw their La Liga title challenge slip further away after a shock 2-0 home defeat to Real Sociedad on Sunday.
Willian Jose opened the scoring from the penalty spot inside three minutes and, after Lucas Vazquez was sent off just after the hour mark, Ruben Pardo wrapped up the victory for the visitors inside the final 10 minutes.
The loss leaves Real Madrid outside the Champions League places and they are 10 points behind leaders Barcelona, who won 2-1 at Getafe on Sunday.
The referee was pointing to the spot inside 80 seconds after Casemiro fouled Mikel Merino on the right side of the area.
Willian stepped up and fired it straight and high as goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois dived to his left.
Madrid had to wait until the ninth minute for their first sight of goal, but Karim Benzema's snap-shot from the left-hand side flew across goal and wide at the far post.
It was Benzema again in the 15th minute when he tried to clip the ball over Geronimo Ruilli, but the 'keeper got enough on it to keep it out and the ball was thumped away from danger.
Ruilli then made a good save to deny Luka Modric, whose powerful shot tore through a crowded penalty area following a corner.
Madrid were appealing for a penalty of their own just after the half-hour mark as Asier Illarramendi and Sergio Ramos tussled for the same ball in front of goal, but the referee waved played on.
Just before the break, Vazquez's attempted cross struck the outside of the post and Madrid went in trailing at the break.
The hosts started the second half on the front foot with Modric and Rafael Varane denied in the opening moments and Vinicius Junior - making his full league debut - bending a shot just wide.
At the other end, Mikel Oyarzabal curled a shot just over when presented with a chance to double Sociedad's lead.
The frustration of the home fans grew as Adnan Januzaj's cross-cum-shot went narrowly wide, and the already plentiful boos intensified when Vazquez collected his second booking for a foul on Merino just after the hour when Isco squandered possession in midfield.
That came soon after Isco had come on to replace Casemiro, leaving Madrid without a holding midfielder in an aggressive formation - and they had no option but to continue attacking.
Madrid wanted another penalty in the 65th minute when Vinicius went down under a challenge from Ruilli as he tried to round the goalkeeper, but the referee again waved away the appeals and though replays suggested Ruilli got nothing of the ball, VAR opted not to intervene.
Despite their lack of numbers Madrid continued to push forward, but Sociedad scrambled it off the line to deny Ramos while Vinicius bent a decent chance just wide.
Instead it was Sociedad who wrapped up the victory inside the final 10 minutes, with Willian bending in a cross for the unmarked Pardo to head beyond Courtois.
