La Liga wrap: Sociedad, Betis play out entertaining draw

Real Sociedad and Real Betis have played out a pulsating 3-3 draw in La Liga as both teams chase European football for next season.

Real Sociedad and Real Betis have played out a pulsating 3-3 draw in La Liga as both teams chase European football for next season.

Betis jumped out to a two-goal lead by the fourth minute of the second half but then conceded three times in 11 minutes as Sociedad looked to claim their fourth win in five matches.

But with the home fans having only just settled down after Xabi Prieto’s penalty gave Sociedad the lead, Colombian striker Dorlan Pabon nailed his second goal of the match to draw Betis level.

Betis, who sit seventh in La Liga, travelled to San Sebastian on Sunday to take on sixth-placed Sociedad with both teams in the running for Europa League qualification.

The visitors took the lead in the 29th minute when Jorge Molina strode through the middle of Sociedad’s defence, collected a pass from Joel Campbell and struck the ball into the top corner.

Pabon doubled Betis’ lead in the 49th minute with an outrageous bit of skill, dinking the ball over onrushing Sociedad goalkeeper Claudio Bravo and then volleying a shot home from a tight angle.

Sociedad began their comeback two minutes later through Carlos Vela, who thumped home Imanol Agirretxe’s flick-on header.

The hosts were level in the 56th minute thanks to Inigo Martinez’s header and six minutes later Xabi Prieto put Sociedad in front with a delightful chipped penalty straight down the middle.

The home side were denied the win, however, when Pabon took Ruben Castro’s through ball in the 66th minute and crunched his shot past Bravo.

The draw means both teams missed an opportunity to move above Valencia and into fifth spot in La Liga.

In Malaga, second-placed Atletico Madrid could only manage a 0-0 draw, which means their lead over local rivals Real has dropped to two points.

With Real having defeated league leaders Barcelona on Saturday, Atletico needed a win to keep a comfortable lead over their city rivals but could not convert one of their 11 shots against fourth-placed Malaga.

In the other match on Sunday, Espanyol and Real Valladolid played out a 0-0 draw.