Real Sociedad 0 - Barcelona 2

Real Sociedad: Bravo; Mikel González, Juanito, Víctor López, Garrido; Garitano (Diego Rivas 63'), Aranburu; López Rekarte (Díaz de Cerio 60'), Savio, Xabi Prieto (Estrada 76'); Kovacevic. 4-2-3-1.
Barcelona: Víctor Valdés; Zambrotta, Puyol, Thuram, Van Bronckhorst; Xavi, Edmilson, Iniesta (Gudjohnsen 85'); Messi (Oleguer 92'), Eto'o, Ronaldinho. 4-3-3.

Team changes: Real: Aranburu, Kovacevic for Díaz de Cerio, Herrera / Barça: Edmilson for Deco.

Goals:
0-1. 47. Iniesta. Picked up pass from Ronaldinho and rounded Bravo to score.
0-2. 88. Eto'o. Ran on to Ronaldinho through ball and placed shot wide of keeper.

Barcelona survived their first "match ball", beating struggling Real Sociedad 0-2 to open up a four point gap at the top pending the duel between Real Madrid and Sevilla on Sunday. The pre-match build up was all about whether the Blaugrana were running out of steam near the end of the championship, but they dominated the first half, Xavi having a goal disallowed for a narrow offside in only the fourth minute, and Bravo having to save from Eto'o, Xavi and Iniesta.

Kovacevic tested Valdés for the first time midway through the first half, but otherwise the home side were not in the game, and with the second half only a minute old Iniesta beat the offside trap to run on to Ronaldinho's pinpoint pass and round the keeper to score.

Messi had hardly appeared in the first half, but he produced a couple of his dazzling runs from the right, shooting wide both times, and he and Eto'o were both ruled offside when free in front of goal a couple of times. Bravo saved at point blank range from Eto'o, and Ronaldinho fired a free kick just over the bar, but Real could have equalised themselves, Savio shooting just wide and Diaz de Cerio failing by inches to get on the end of Mikel González's cross.

However with the game in the final minutes, Ronaldinho produced another through ball from his own half to send Eto'o away. And this time the flag stayed down as the Cameroonian striker ran on to shoot wide of Bravo. It was a relief for Rijkaard, his side only having won once away from home since mid-November. But it was a bitter blow for the Basque side, who are still three points away from safety after a second defeat in a row.