Real Sociedad earned a pulsating 2-1 home victory over LaLiga leaders Barcelona on Sunday, ending the Catalans' 11-match winning streak in all competitions.
The thrilling encounter in a rain-soaked San Sebastian saw Sociedad withstand relentless pressure as Barcelona struck the woodwork five times in the second half.
Mikel Oyarzabal opened the scoring with a volley in the 32nd minute, but Barca equalised with a Marcus Rashford header from close range in the 70th.
However, a minute later, Goncalo Guedes sealed the victory for the home side with another volley from inside the box.
Sociedad were reduced to 10 men in the final minutes after Carlos Soler was given a straight red card for a reckless sliding tackle on Pedri.
Despite the defeat, Hansi Flick's Barcelona remain top of the standings on 49 points, one point ahead of second-placed Real Madrid. Villarreal and Atletico Madrid trail far behind with both on 41 points.
"I think we deserved to win, we had lots of chances," Barca captain Frenkie de Jong told DAZN. "At the end of the day, you have to score with the opportunities you create. We played very well, but their keeper, (Alex) Remiro had a great game."
The match was lively from the outset, with both sides trading blows in an open and frenetic first half.
Barcelona believed they had taken the lead in the seventh minute when Fermin Lopez fired a low strike into the bottom corner, but VAR overturned the goal after ruling that Takefusa Kubo had been fouled by Dani Olmo during the build-up.
Both teams saw early goals ruled out for offside, with neither side dominating in the opening exchanges.
The deadlock was finally broken in the 32nd minute when Oyarzabal volleyed home from close range following an inch-perfect cross from Guedes.
VAR Rules Out Barca Penalty
Barcelona pushed for an equaliser, and Olmo forced a sharp save from Remiro in the 37th minute with a venomous strike from distance.
Deep into first-half stoppage time, Barcelona thought they were awarded a penalty when Igor Zubeldia appeared to trip Lamine Yamal in the box.
However, VAR ruled Yamal was offside in the build-up, leaving Barcelona frustrated heading into halftime.
The visitors returned with renewed determination in the second half. Olmo struck the post twice in quick succession, and Remiro brilliantly denied Ferran Torres from close range in the 51st minute.
Barcelona's misfortune continued as they struck the frame of the goal for the third time in the 65th minute, with Remiro once again thwarting Robert Lewandowski's header from point-blank, deflecting it just enough to keep it out before it hit the post.
The equaliser finally arrived in the 70th minute, with substitute Rashford making an instant impact. Yamal delivered a pinpoint cross, and Rashford headed home from close range to level five minutes after coming off the bench.
However, Real Sociedad struck back immediately. A quick counter-attack down the left wing culminated in Soler lifting a cross to the far post, where Guedes was waiting unmarked to rifle a stunning volley into the net and restore Sociedad's advantage.
The home side came agonisingly close to a third goal in the 75th minute, but Pau Cubarsi produced a heroic clearance, heading the ball off the line to keep Barcelona in the game.
The drama escalated when Sociedad were reduced to 10 men in the 88th minute after Soler's studs-up tackle on Pedri.
Despite the numerical advantage, Barcelona couldn't find a way through in the dying minutes, with Rashford's curling corner in added time clipping the near post, marking the fifth occasion the visitors hit the woodwork in the second half.
Sorloth header seals 1-0 Atletico Madrid win over Alaves
Alexander Sorloth's towering header secured Atletico Madrid a narrow 1-0 victory against Alaves in LaLiga on Sunday to maintain their distant pursuit of leaders Barcelona.
Diego Simeone's side stay fourth in the standings with 41 points, level with Villarreal, who sit third with a game in hand, following their 2-0 loss to Real Betis on Saturday.
Barcelona, with a game in hand, lead the table with 49 points and were scheduled to visit Real Sociedad later on Sunday.
In what was a largely uninspiring affair at the Metropolitano, Atletico dominated possession but struggled to find penetration against a disciplined and compact Alaves defence.
The first half, marked by its ill-tempered nature, featured fouls aplenty and few moments of quality.
The hosts' best chance came in stoppage time before the break when Thiago Almada's shot from close range was blocked on the goal line by Victor Parada.
The winner arrived three minutes into the second half as Pablo Barrios whipped in a precise cross from the right wing, allowing Sorloth to rise above the defence and head the ball into the net off the post.
The Norwegian's goal proved decisive in a match that offered little else in excitement other than an Alex Baena curling strike from just inside the box in the 70th minute that ricocheted off the right post.
Alaves tried to make a late run for the equaliser but finished the match with no shots on target.
"It may be that we suffered too much, but in the end we came out with a victory," Atletico midfielder Barrios told DAZN.
"They pushed forward in the end and, with the wear and tear of the whole match, we fell back... But it is normal to suffer because there are never any easy matches in LaLiga. I prefer to stick with our overall performance."
Stuttgart stumble to 1-1 against Union, miss out on top three
VfB Stuttgart conceded an 83rd-minute equaliser to settle for a 1-1 draw against visitors Union Berlin on Sunday and miss their chance to move into the top three in the Bundesliga.
Sebastian Hoeness's team thought they were cruising to their fourth win in the last five league games when Chris Fuehrich put them in the lead in the 59th minute but Union struck seven minutes from time with substitute Jeong Woo-yeong to snatch a point.
Stuttgart are fourth on 33 points, level with third-placed Hoffenheim, who have a game in hand. Borussia Dortmund are in second place on 39 with leaders Bayern Munich in top spot on 50. Union climbed to eighth on 24.
The hosts were in control in the first half but found it hard going against a tight Union defence, with the visitors lurking on the break and having the best chance when Andrej Ilic hit the post in the 14th minute.
Stuttgart broke the deadlock when Fuehrich, a candidate for Germany's World Cup squad, drilled in with a low shot just before the hour mark.
They should have sealed their win in the 80th when Angelo Stiller was sent through but the midfielder, also battling for a ticket to the World Cup, fired wildly over the bar.
Instead it was South Korea international Jeong who scored in the 83rd before also forcing a fine save from Stuttgart keeper Alexander Nuebel two minutes before the end.
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