Ten-man Barca lose first league game this season

Real Sociedad condemned Barcelona to their first La Liga defeat this season when they came from two goals down to claim a last-gasp 3-2 win yesterday with the leaders having Gerard Pique sent off early in the second half.

Imanol Agirretxe slid in to grab the winner in added time for the mid-table hosts after Lionel Messi and Pedro had given Barca an early lead.

Messi’s goal, his 10th in 10 consecutive league games, matched the La Liga record set by fellow Barca players Mariano Martin in the 1942/43 campaign and Brazil’s Ronaldo in 1996/97.

Gonzalo Castro pulled one back for the hosts four minutes before half-time and he levelled the scores, soon after Pique had picked up a second yellow card in the 56th minute, with a shot that deflected off Barca’s Javier Mascherano.

Barca, who had previously only dropped points in a 2-2 draw at home to champions Real Madrid, stayed on 55 points from 20 games, 11 ahead of second-placed Atletico Madrid.