MADRID – A late push moved Real Sociedad back to first place in the Spanish La Liga. A late collapse kept Atletico Madrid from getting closer to the top.
Atletico conceded twice in stoppage time in a 3-3 draw at Valencia, while Sociedad scored twice in the final 20 minutes in a 2-0 win at Osasuna.
The victory gave Sociedad a one-point lead over Real Madrid, which had gone top after beating Rayo Vallecano.
Atlético is in fourth place, five points behind Sociedad with a game in hand.
Barcelona was able to stay in ninth place going into the international break despite squandering a three-goal lead in a 3-3 draw at Celta Vigo Saturday.
Substitute striker Hugo Duro entered the match in the 85th and scored in the second and sixth minutes of injury time to give Valencia the home draw against Atlético.
Luis Suarez, Antoine Griezmann and Sime Vrsaljko had scored for the defending champion, which was coming off a loss at Liverpool in the Champions League.
“In soccer you pay for your mistakes,” Atletico coach Diego Simeone said according to Reuters. “I´m responsible. It´s my mistake in the end. We played a great match until the final minutes.”
Valencia, which stayed in 10th place, was coming off a 2-0 league win against Villarreal that snapped the team´s seven-game winless streak.
Valencia hasn´t beaten Atletico in 14 consecutive matches, with its last win over Simeone´s team coming in 2014.
Suarez opened the scoring for the visitors from inside the area in the 35th before Valencia equalized with an own-goal by Atletico defender Stefan Savic in the 50th. Griezmann put Atletico ahead again in the 58th after a run from behind the midfield line that ended with a nice strike into the top corner, and Vrsaljko netted the third two minutes later from close range after a video review.
Valencia threatened with Daniel Wass hitting the crossbar in the 63rd, then sealed the comeback with Duro scoring from near the penalty spot in a breakaway and then with a header off a late set piece.
Simeone lost right back Kieran Trippier because of a clavicle injury following an awkward fall less than five minutes into the match at the Mestalla Stadium.
Mikel Merino scored from inside the area in the 72nd and Adnan Januzaj added to the lead by converting an 82nd-minute penalty for Sociedad in its win at Osasuna.
The victory extended Sociedad´s unbeaten run to 16 consecutive matches in all competitions. It´s only loss this season came in the first round of the Spanish league against Barcelona at the Camp Nou Stadium.
It was the second loss in a row for Osasuna, which has only one victory at home this season. It had been unbeaten in five straight matches before a loss at Sevilla two rounds ago.
In its first match since coach Unai Emery told the club he was not taking a job with Newcastle in England, Villarreal edged last-place Getafe 1-0 at home with a goal by Manu Trigueros after 10 minutes.
It was Villarreal’s first win after four consecutive winless matches in the league, including three losses. The victory left the club in 12th place.
Getafe was coming off its first win of the season against Espanyol.
