Soccer

Barcelona slump to defeat as Gareth Bale helps lift Real Madrid to top

Champions lose 3-1 away to Real Sociedad to lose top spot in La Liga

Gareth Bale celebrates scoring Real Madrid’s second goal with team-mate Alvaro Arbeloa during the La Liga match against Elche at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu. Photograph: Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images
Gareth Bale celebrates scoring Real Madrid’s second goal with team-mate Alvaro Arbeloa during the La Liga match against Elche at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu. Photograph: Gonzalo Arroyo Moreno/Getty Images
Sat Feb 22 2014 - 21:42

Spanish round -up: Real Madrid stormed three points clear at the top of La Liga after they beat Elche 3-0 on Saturday and Barcelona slumped to a 3-1 defeat at Real Sociedad.

Asier Illarramendi gave Real the lead before the break but it took them until the 72nd minute to score again with a rocket of a long-range drive by Gareth Bale. Isco added a third goal with nine minutes left.

Barca were cut open again and again on the counter-attack by a Sociedad side intent on avenging their recent King’s Cup exit at the hands of the Catalans.

Sociedad went ahead through an Alex Song own goal before Lionel Messi equalised. Antoine Griezmann and David Zurutuza then struck after the break to send Barca to defeat.

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It could have been worse for the champions as Carlos Vela hit the woodwork late on.

Barca, who also had coach Gerardo Martino dismissed at half-time for complaining to the referee, have 60 points from 25 matches.

Real lead the way on 63 points and Atletico Madrid can draw level with them by winning at Osasuna on Sunday.

Illarramendi, replacing suspended midfielder Luka Modric, broke the deadlock for Real with a shot that clipped Manu del Moral and wrong-footed goalkeeper Manu Herrera after 34 minutes.

Real were without Cristiano Ronaldo, serving the final game of his three-match ban, and without the Portugal forward they lacked spark in front of goal against an Elche side that defended solidly.

Karim Benzema forced Herrera into an early save and the France striker, along with Angel Di Maria, looked dangerous for Real but they needed a slice of fortune with Illarramendi's strike.

Wales winger Bale, having a quiet game on the right, exploded into life with a powerful shot that went in off the crossbar to give Real a 2-0 lead.

With 13th-placed Elche’s resistance broken, substitute Isco slotted home the third goal.

"Bale didn't have confidence before scoring his great goal and after that he was totally different," Real coach Carlo Ancelotti told a news conference.

“I am satisfied because we didn’t concede. Our play could have been better but at this stage of the season we need to be solid and we were.

“In tight games Modric gives us more options but Illarramendi did very well,” the Italian added.