Sergio Ramos scored his fifth goal since the season resumed as Real Madrid beat Athletic Bilbao 1-0 on Sunday to move closer to its first Spanish league title in three years.
Ramos converted a 73rd-minute penalty kick to give Madrid its seventh straight league victory and open a seven-point lead over second-place Barcelona, which visits fifth-place Villarreal later Sunday.
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Sergio Ramos scored his fifth goal since the season resumed as Real Madrid beat Athletic Bilbao 1-0 on Sunday to move closer to its first Spanish league title in three years.
Ramos had already scored the winner from the penalty spot in Madrid's 1-0 win against Getafe on Thursday. He had scored in three other matches since the league resumed.
Madrid was without forward Eden Hazard and defender Raphael Varane because of minor injuries.
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Athletic Bilbao's Inaki Williams, center, duels for the ball with Real Madrid's Eder Militao, left, and Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Athletic Club and Real Madrid at the San Manes stadium in Bilbao, Spain, Sunday, July 5, 2020. (AP PhotoAlvaro Barrientos)
Real Madrid substitute players sit on the stands prior the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Athletic Club and Real Madrid at the San Manes stadium in Bilbao, Spain, Sunday, July 5, 2020. (AP PhotoAlvaro Barrientos)
Madrid has four matches left as it chases its first league title since 2017
Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos, left, celebrates after scoring the opening goal from a penalty shoot during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Athletic Club and Real Madrid at the San Manes stadium in Bilbao, Spain, Sunday, July 5, 2020. (AP PhotoAlvaro Barrientos)
Ramos had already scored the winner from the penalty spot in Madrid's 1-0 win against Getafe on Thursday. He had scored in three other matches since the league resumed.
Madrid remained the only team with a perfect record after the coronavirus break.
Eighth-place Athletic was coming off two straight victories and had won three of its last four matches, with the only setback a loss at Barcelona.
Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos, left, celebrates after scoring the opening goal from a penalty shoot during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Athletic Club and Real Madrid at the San Manes stadium in Bilbao, Spain, Sunday, July 5, 2020. (AP PhotoAlvaro Barrientos)
Madrid was without forward Eden Hazard and defender Raphael Varane because of minor injuries.
Two-time defending champion Barcelona had the lead when the league was suspended but has drawn three of its six matches since the return, including the last two. It will enter the match against Villarreal with coach Quique Setién under pressure because of the team’s poor run of results.
The Catalan club will face a Villarreal team that has won five of its six matches after the break.
Real Madrid's head coach Zinedine Zidane, center, talks to his players during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Athletic Club and Real Madrid at the San Manes stadium in Bilbao, Spain, Sunday, July 5, 2020. (AP PhotoAlvaro Barrientos)
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Athletic Bilbao's Inaki Williams kicks the ball during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Athletic Club and Real Madrid at the San Manes stadium in Bilbao, Spain, Sunday, July 5, 2020. (AP PhotoAlvaro Barrientos)
Athletic Bilbao's Inaki Williams, center, duels for the ball with Real Madrid's Eder Militao, left, and Real Madrid's Sergio Ramos during the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Athletic Club and Real Madrid at the San Manes stadium in Bilbao, Spain, Sunday, July 5, 2020. (AP PhotoAlvaro Barrientos)
Real Madrid substitute players sit on the stands prior the Spanish La Liga soccer match between Athletic Club and Real Madrid at the San Manes stadium in Bilbao, Spain, Sunday, July 5, 2020. (AP PhotoAlvaro Barrientos)
Barcelona defeated Real Sociedad 1-0 on Thursday to make sure Real Madrid will have to wait at least another week to celebrate the Spanish league title.
Barcelona's away victory reduced its gap to Madrid to 15 points, and it can further cut it to 12 points on Sunday if it defeats Rayo Vallecano at home in a game it has in hand.
Barcelona and Madrid, which won 3-1 at Osasuna on Wednesday, will have five games left. Madrid, trying to clinch its second title in three seasons, doesn’t play this weekend.
Barcelona's plaers celebrate after Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored the opening goal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Sociedad and FC Barcelona at the Reale Arena stadium in San Sebastian, Spain, Thursday, April 21, 2022. (AP PhotoAlvaro Barrientos)
“Madrid was lucky that it took a while for us to join the fight,” Barcelona defender Dani Alves said.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang scored with a close-range header in the 11th minute to give Barcelona its first win after consecutive home losses against Cádiz in the league and Eintracht Frankfurt in the Europa League. The Catalan club had not lost two straight home games since 2003.
The victory against Sociedad left Barcelona tied on points with Sevilla, which defeated Levante earlier Thursday to stay in position to secure a Champions League place next season. Second place also is important as it guarantees a spot in the Spanish Super Cup.
Barcelona's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang celebrates after scoring the opening goal during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Sociedad and FC Barcelona at the Reale Arena stadium in San Sebastian, Spain, Thursday, April 21, 2022. (AP PhotoAlvaro Barrientos)
“We suffered a lot but in the end we got three golden points and stayed in second place,” Barcelona coach Xavi Hernández said. “It was an important victory even though we didn’t play too well.”
Defending champion Atlético Madrid, which was held to a 0-0 home draw against relegation-threatened Granada on Wednesday, stayed two points behind Barcelona and Sevilla. Fifth-place Real Betis trailed Atlético by four points and was two ahead of Sociedad.
Sociedad has not beaten Barcelona in 12 straight league matches. The Basque Country club hadn't lost in seven consecutive league games at home, all of them with clean sheets.
Barcelona's Dani Alves, left, fights for the ball with Real Sociedad's Diego Rico during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Sociedad and FC Barcelona at the Reale Arena stadium in San Sebastian, Spain, Thursday, April 21, 2022. (AP PhotoAlvaro Barrientos)
Barcelona extended its unbeaten streak on the road to 13 league matches, having won five in a row.
Barcelona defender Ronald Araújo left injured early in the second half, and the team's other central defender, Gerard Piqué, appeared to get injured in the first half but stayed until being substituted in the 82nd while being loudly jeered by the Sociedad fans.
Piqué, who also heard some boos every time he touched the ball during the game, has been in the spotlight in recent days after stolen audio leaked to the media exposed a series of conversations between him and Spanish soccer federation president Luis Rubiales talking about behind-the-scenes negotiations on several issues.
Barcelona's Frenkie de Jong, left, vies for the ball with Real Sociedad's Igor Zubeldia during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Sociedad and FC Barcelona at the Reale Arena stadium in San Sebastian, Spain, Thursday, April 21, 2022. (AP PhotoAlvaro Barrientos)
SEVILLA RECOVERS
Sevilla improved its chances of making it to the Champions League with a 3-2 win at second-to-last-place Levante.
Jesús “Tecatito” Corona scored two first-half goals and Jules Koundé added another after halftime.
Barcelona's Dani Alves reacts during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Sociedad and FC Barcelona at the Reale Arena stadium in San Sebastian, Spain, Thursday, April 21, 2022. (AP PhotoAlvaro Barrientos)
Levante captain José Luis Morales had to be comforted by teammates and opponents after the match because of a missed penalty kick that could have equalized the game at 2-2 in the second half. Koundé gave Sevilla a 3-1 lead about 10 minutes later before Roberto Soldado pulled the hosts closer again.
Levante stayed tied with last-place Alavés, six points from safety.
CÁDIZ FALLS AGAIN
Barcelona's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, left, tries to score next to Real Sociedad's goalkeeper Alex Remiro during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Sociedad and FC Barcelona at the Reale Arena stadium in San Sebastian, Spain, Thursday, April 21, 2022. (AP PhotoAlvaro Barrientos)
Cádiz followed up its stunning 1-0 win against Barcelona at the Camp Nou Stadium with a 3-2 home loss against Athletic Bilbao.
The result left Cádiz just outside the relegation zone.
Eighth-place Athletic was up 3-0 by the 33rd. It played a man down from the 71st after Mikel Vesga was sent off.
Barcelona's head coach Xavi Hernandez gestures during a Spanish La Liga soccer match between Real Sociedad and FC Barcelona at the Reale Arena stadium in San Sebastian, Spain, Thursday, April 21, 2022. (AP PhotoAlvaro Barrientos)
RELIEF FOR RAYO
Rayo won 1-0 at Espanyol to end a 13-match winless streak in the league and move closer to salvation.
Sergi Guardiola scored in the 42nd to leave the southern Madrid club seven points from the relegation zone in 14th place. Espanyol, sitting in 12th-place, was two points ahead of Rayo.
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