Atletico Madrid could only manage a 1-1 draw at Real Sociedad on Sunday, leaving them eleven points behind La Liga leaders Barcelona.
Diego Simeone’s side drew level with third-placed Villarreal on 38 points, but have played two more games and lost more ground in the Spanish title race.
Alexander Sorloth headed Atletico into the lead early in the second half but Goncalo Guedes leveled five minutes later to secure Real Sociedad’s American coach Pellegrino Matarazzo a point in his first game at the helm.
Host Real Sociedad started well, with Mikel Oyarzabal shooting narrowly wide from distance and Jan Oblak having to tip away Brais Mendez’s move.
Atletico, who have won only two of their last five league games, threatened sporadically, but the Basque side were on top and almost took the lead before half-time.
Rojiblancos striker Sorloth headed into his own goal, but the goal was disallowed for offside against Mendez, who was in front of the Norwegian.
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Five minutes into the second half, Sorloth nodded in the same goal, this time to send his team ahead after a Giuliano Simeone cross.
Conor Gallagher should have doubled Atletico’s lead but shot wide of the near post as he came through on goal and was quickly punished.
Guedes leveled for Real Sociedad after Takefusa Kubo darted into the penalty area and fired the ball over the goal line for the unmarked Portuguese winger to finish.
Oblak made a clever low save to deny Kubo, and his counterpart, Alex Remiro, was also forced into action as Antoine Griezmann ran through, but could only fire at the Spaniard from a tight angle.
Carlos Soler could have won the victory for Sociedad in stoppage time, but fired a shot painfully wide of the far post to leave his team 15th.
Published on January 5, 2026
