..::Football II::..

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Fergie hints at Lewandowski swoop

Sir Alex Ferguson has suggested Manchester United may yet sign Robert Lewandowski, despite reports the Borussia Dortmund striker is bound for Bayern Munich.
Lewandowski stole the headlines midweek, scoring four goals against Real Madrid in the Champions League semi-finals. The Poland international has become one of the hottest strikers in Europe as a result.

Ferguson believes that, following the announcement that Bayern have signed Mario Gotze for next season, Lewandowski may not be allowed to make the same move, and could instead transfer to Old Trafford."If the right player comes along you have to be prepared to make a move,"

Ferguson said. "I can find room for anybody here as long as they have the required quality."I am not sure Lewandowski will be sold to Bayern now. The Dortmund fans are not going to be happy [about the Gotze transfer] and I don't think they will sell to their main rivals.

"I think they will either let his contract run out, or sell him somewhere else."Bayern, meanwhile, moved to quash reports from Bild that Lewandowski had agreed to terms with the Bundesliga leaders. The club "has no contract with Robert Lewandowski”, a statement read.

 

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SAF kawru ganna try karai da mandaMatanam Hithenne LEW or Falcao thamai

LEW ta wada Mario Götze ganda thibba nam patta! eth dan brynla aranlune.

 

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LEW ta wada Mario Götze ganda thibba nam patta! eth dan brynla aranlune.

Ow bro Gotze ge Bayern deal 1ka almost done wage

 

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Newcastle win proves Liverpool are no one-man team, says Rodgers

 

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Patta gahillak neda Liverpool gahala thiyene88 Years walata passe Newcastle lage lokuma home defeat 1kalu

Suarez nathuwath mehma play kala kiyanne supiri.

 

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Barclays Premier League 2013.04.28 Fixtures

Arsenal Vs Manchester United

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Congratulations Manchester United!!!

Arsenal 1-1 Manchester United: Van Persie penalty earns a point on his Emirates return

Arsenal was held to a 1-1 draw against Manchester Unite at the Emirates in a match dominated by Robin van Persie's return to this old club.

Theo Walcott gave the hosts the lead inside the second minute as Arsenal raced out of the blocks but the Gunners were pegged back at the end of the half courtesy of a van Persie penalty.

After a week's worth of speculation, van Persie started on his return to the Emirates while Lukas Podolski also made a rare start as Arsenal's central striker with Olivier Giroud missing with suspension.

The Gunners got off to the perfect start in front of their red hot home support when Walcott beat the offside trap and calmly found a way past David de Gea from a tight angle inside the second minute.Santi Cazorla then stung the hands of the United keeper with a shot from range as Arsenal maintained their early momentum.

Van Persie's first real involvement in the game was a miscued shot which sailed high over the bar just after the 10 minute mark, much to the delight of the Gunners' supporters. Those fans then collectively held their breath moments later when the Dutchman broke down the left flank before crossing for Phil Jones who failed to find the target with a header after surging into the box.

Wenger's men lost some of that early impetus as the first half went on but were sparked back into life when Jonny Evans brought down Walcott just outside the area.

The free kick was wasted but moments later Arsenal had a glorious chance to double its lead on the counterattack. Rosicky elected to pass to Podolski, rather than the unmarked Walcott, but the German could only fire his shot from a tight angle straight at De Gea.

Arsenal then had Wojciech Szczesny to thank for keeping it ahead just before the break. The Poland international made himself big to keep out van Persie's header from point-blank range after a swift United counterattack.

But moments later van Persie made no mistake, this time from the spot, after Sagna's rash challenge on the Dutchman gave United a penalty.

The Gunners made a bright start after the break and could have gone ahead early on but Tomas Rosicky's prod with the outside of his boot whistled just past the De Gea's far post.

Sir Alex's side soon edged back into the contest and dictated the game for a period of 15 minutes. Van Persie over-hit a low cross past the onrushing Antonio Valencia before Wayne Rooney wasted a good chance with a header straight at Szczesny from close range.

Arsenal rallied for a winner in a end-to-end finale to match with the visitors still a threat on the break but neither side could fashion the clear-cut chance needed to win the game.

Cazorla came close with a powerful right-footed shot which was palmed away by De Gea with minutes left on the clock before Ryan Giggs wasted a great opportunity when found totally unmarked on the break by Rooney.

 

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Congratulations Manchester United!!!

Congratulations Manchester United

RVP adath score karala neh

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Chelsea 2-0 Swansea: Lampard closes in on Tambling’s goalscoring record

Chelsea tightened its grip on a top four Premier League finish after a 2-0 win in an engaging battle against Swansea at Stamford Bridge.The Blues struck twice in quick succession just before the interval, with a clinical Oscar strike and a Frank Lampard penalty giving the impressive home side a lead that proved unassailable after the break.

The result sees Rafa Benitez’s men climb three points above fifth-placed rival Tottenham in the hunt for Champions League football, while Swansea sits securely at ninth in the table having already insured its European participation – albeit in the Europa League – next term.

Chelsea made a number of changes from the side that beat Basel midweek, with Gary Cahill returning from injury to partner John Terry at the back and Juan Mata, Oscar and Demba Ba all recalled at the expense of Lampard, Victor Moses and Branislav IvanovicSwans boss Michael Laudrup handed starts to Wayne Routledge and Ki Sung-Yeung, as Luke Moore and Nathan Dyer made way.

After a slow start to the game, punctuated only by Ba's well-struck effort from range, it was the introduction of Lampard - who replaced the injured Ramires just before the half-hour mark - that sparked the encounter into life.

Chelsea's second all-time top goal scorer drove through the middle of the pitch to force Michel Vorm into a smart stop with a speculative effort from 30 yards, as Cahill sent a free header from the resulting corner inches wide.That passage was to prove the catalyst to Benitez's side plundering a quick-fire double before the interval, as Lampard again drove through the heart of the Swansea team to feed in Oscar down the right channel, where he angled beyond Vorm to put the home side a goal up.

Moments later and on the stroke of halftime, Lampard doubled the lead and brought himself to within a goal of Chelsea legend Bobby Tambling's goalscoring record, giving Vorm no chance with a low, driven penalty after Leon Britton clumsily tripped Mata as he advanced into the box.

The second half continued in the much the same expansive manner as the first, with Ba going close with number of half chances, all of which Vorm proved equal too, as Michu and Angel Rangel threatened sporadically at the other end.Mata's inventive cut-back narrowly evaded Ba at the far post as Chelsea sought to extend the lead, before Lampard's poor touch allowed Vorm to rush out and collect at the midfielder's feet.

The introduction of Neil Taylor - returning from a broken ankle picked up earlier in the season - provided the visiting side with a solitary positive to take away from west London, as Benitez's side saw out the remainder of the game in reasonable luxury.

Three points sees Chelsea enter the latter stages of the domestic campaign with its Champions League qualification ambitions in its own hands, though the club faces crucial games against Manchester United and Tottenham after the Europa League second leg semifinal against Basle on Thursday.

 

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Torino 0-2 Juventus: Vidal and Marchisio put Conte's men on brink of Scudetto

An off-key Juventus could not find a way past Torino, until Arturo Vidal arrived with a late cracker to send the league leader on the way to a 2-0 win in Saturday's Derby della Mole, leaving the club just one point shy of the Serie A title.

Juve shaded the match in terms of territory and possession, but was imprecise in attack and rarely threatened to break the deadlock, breaking through with just four minutes left when Vidal smashed home a volley from nowhere. With Torino demoralised, Claudio Marchisio deepened the wound with a second in injury time to assure victory.

Inching ever closer to the Serie A title, Juventus nevertheless struggled to impose itself early on against its neighbor and arch rival. The first half was accompanied by strong rain and a grey panorama in Turin, and although it did little to dampen the spirits of the home support the conditions made it difficult for either side to control the tempo and pass fluidly across the pitch.

In a tight first 45 minutes, Juve had a handful of chances to put itself in the lead and further extend the team's advantage at the top. Mirko Vucinic should have done a lot better after being played through by a sumptuous ball from Paul Pogba. The Montenegro striker had the net firmly in his sights, but failed to make decent contact on a greasy surface and ended by steering a tame shot wide of the post.

Arturo Vidal was another man to go close for the Old Lady, steering a header high and wide after connecting with Stephan Lichtsteiner's cross at the far post. The game began to open up towards the end of the period, and the visiting side thought it had scored when Claudio Marchisio broke through and chipped past Jean-Francois Gillet, but the flag soon went up as the midfielder was comfortably offside when fed by Vucinic.

Torino, meanwhile, attempted to hit its rival on the break but had few opportunities to do damage and break a run of seven games without scoring in a derby. Mario Santana went closer than anybody in burgundy, releasing a terrific shot from outside the area that needed an equally wonderful stop from Gianluigi Buffon, ensuring that the sides would go into the break still deadlocked.

The second 45 minutes started in a rather scrappy fashion, with neither side holding back in the tackle resulting in plenty of fouls and pauses in play. Nevertheless, Vucinic went close to opening the scoring with a rather fortunate effort, a shot that took a big deflection off the boot of Migjen Basha and landed inches wide of the post.

Juventus stayed on top, dominating possession, but could not find any way past a home team that compensated for its deficiencies with no little commitment and enthusiasm. Chances were few and far between for the Serie A holder, ball after ball entering the box without finding its target. Lichtsteiner summed up the frustration of his teammates with a speculative shot from outside the box that flew wide, an indication of the solidity of Torino at the back as Juve was starved of space.

Antonio Conte rang the changes to try and find the formula to break down the home side, but it was to no avail as Torino stayed strong until the final whistle. With just four minutes to go, however, a moment of magic broke down the home resistance. Vidal looked to be innocuous enough as he received the ball well outside the Toro area, but the Chilean released a stunning volley that squeezed into the net and earned three points in dramatic fashion.

It was heartbreak for Torino after such resistance, getting worse at the end when Kamil Glik was expelled for a second booking, and any hopes the club may still have had evaporated when Marchisio turned in a corner in injury time to end the game as a contest.

The win means that Conte's charges lie 11 points clear at the top, with Napoli trailing in second. A victory or draw in the next round against Palermo would ensure that the title will be staying in Turin for another year. Torino, meanwhile, let slip a valuable point that leaves the club just four clear of the relegation zone.

 

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Palermo 1-0 Inter: Hosts continue bid for salvation thanks to Ilicic strike

Palermo's battle against relegation to Serie B continued in Sicily as it disposed of injury-hit Inter to move out of the drop zone.

Josip Ilicic's fifth goal in as many matches proved to be the difference, with the playmaker taking advantage of a Matias Silvestre mistake to score the winner in only the 10th minute.

Inter captain Javier Zanetti suffered an Achilles injury early in the first half to add to the number of players the Milan outfit have lost to injury since the turn of the year.

After a bright opening, the hosts had the first sight of goal when Fabrizio Miccoli fired Santiago Garcia's pull back straight at Samir Handanovic while Zanetti tested Stefano Sorrentino from distance for the visitors.

The frantic start to the match was capped by the opening goal, with the breakthrough stemming from an error from former Palermo defender Silvestre.

The center back failed to clear a long ball forward, allowing Miccoli to lay the ball back for Ilicic, and the Slovenia attacker made no mistake with a placed effort from the edge of the area.

The pressure continued on the visitors' goal, and Handanovic had to be alert to keep out a Miccoli free kick from a tight angle. With skipper Zanetti having to be stretchered off, Andrea Stramaccioni's side were struggling to deal with Palermo's swift counter-attacks.

Miccolia and Garcia were in particular causing problems, though it was another flair player who almost provided the equalizer as Ricky Alvarez fired wide after the ball found him near the penalty spot.

Despite Miccoli again testing Handanovic, the San Siro outfit had the better of the closing stages as Tommaso Rocchi twice went close.

His first effort was weak and straight at Sorrentino before he wasted Inter's best chance of the opening period when he headed over after a cross was floated in from the right.

Stramaccioni had obviously had some harsh words for his charges at the break, and they began the second half well, with Jonathan seeing his powerful effort from distance parried round the post by Sorrentino.

The Nerazzurri continued to press, though they were largely wasteful in the final third, and they were almost made to pay after some individual brilliance from Miccoli.

The striker was fed the ball on the edge of the area, and he proceeded to tee himself up before volleying towards the top corner. He was only denied by an equally spectacular save from the impressive Handanovic.

As the match entered its final 20 minutes, Alvarez finally came to life and gave Inter hope. The tricky forward fired just over the top with an outrageous effort from 35 yards before he jinked through the home defense only to fire over once in sight of goal.

The goalkeeper was again called into action when substitute Abel Hernandez broke clear, and though Inter huffed and puffed in the final stages, it couldn't create the opening that would have seen the points shared.

 

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Reading 0-0 QPR: Dismal draw sends both sides crashing down to Championship

Reading and QPR have both been relegated from the Premier League after the two sides played out a turgid 0-0 stalemate at the Madejski Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Pavel Pogrebnyak had the best of the chances for the hosts, missing out in a goalmouth scramble and firing wide, while Adel Taarabt wasted several opportunities for Harry Redknapp’s side before Robert Green saved late on from Sean Morrison.

The result confirms both sides’ drop to the Championship as neither side can catch both Aston Villa and Wigan, with the two playing each other on the final day of the season.

Adam Federici was still ruled out with an ankle problem, meaning that Alex McCarthy kept his place in the Reading goal as Nigel Adkins named the same XI from the defeat to Norwich City.

Redknapp, meanwhile, made five changes from QPR’s loss at home to Stoke City, bringing Nedum Onouha in for Chris Samba at the back while Armand Traore returned at fullback. There were also starts for Esteban Granero, Jermaine Jenas and Jay Bothroyd in the Rs' line-up.

The tension was palpable around the ground as the game got under way but Granero had the best chance early on as he grazed the crossbar with a free kick, before the visitors had a glorious opportunity when Bothroyd latched on to the Spaniard’s lofted pass and tried to lift the ball over McCarthy - but the ball dropped inches wide of the post.

Reading soon enjoyed a sustained period of pressure but could not fashion a chance, before Adel Taarabt hammered wide from the edge of the box at the other end.

The impressive Jobi McAnuff was then fouled by Jose Bosingwa and Garath McCleary’s header back from the free kick was nearly diverted in by first Pogrebnyak and then Adrian Mariappa but Bosingwa cleared off the line and QPR somehow survived.

The hosts had two penalties denied within a few minutes by the referee as Nick Blackman was brought down before Bosingwa challenged Stephen Kelly, but the officials were not interested.

McAnuff then saw his swerving effort parried away by Green in first-half stoppage time as the hosts went into the break the better of the two sides.

Both sides started rapidly in the second half, with corners at both ends, and Loic Remy headed over for the visitors before setting up an excellent chance for Taarabt, who scuffed his shot straight at the goalkeeper from 12 yards.

Reading soon found its rhythm again and Pogrebnyak showed excellent skill to cut inside Bosingwa before curling an effort just the wrong side of Green’s far post.

Both sides made changes, knowing that a draw would not be enough, but the wave of substitutions slowed the game right down. Jenas fired a volley just over before spurning a glorious opportunity, slicing wide after good work by Bothroyd.

Morrison's powerful header was denied late on by Green who did well to tip the ball over before McCarthy gathered a Bothroyd effort at the second attempt, but the game ended goalless, confirming the inevitable relegation for both sides.

 

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QPR and Reading relegated from the Premier League

The two sides will play in the Championship in the 2013-14 season after cancelling each other out in a 0-0 stalemate at the Madejski Stadium on Sunday afternoon.
QPR and Reading have been relegated from the Premier League after their 0-0 draw at the Madejski Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

The stalemate leaves the two clubs nine points behind 17th-placed Aston Villa with three games remaining, but the result of the final-day clash between Villa and Wigan, which sits 18th, will put survival beyond both teams' reach.

A win for Wigan in that fixture would see the club attain the 35-point total that would relegate QPR and Reading, while a draw or Villa victory would see Paul Lambert's team rise above that same threshold.

Reading currently sits bottom of the Premier League but QPR has occupied that position for much of the campaign - with Harry Redknapp replacing Mark Hughes in November.

Redknapp has improved the west London club's fortunes but not enough to have pulled it out of the bottom three.

In the meantime, Reading's struggles cost Brian McDermott his job in March, and Nigel Adkins was hired to replace the now-Leeds boss after departing fellow top-flight newcomer Southampton.

 

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Juventus coach Conte commiserates with injured Zanetti

The Bianconeri boss was upset to hear the legendary Argentine defender had suffered a potentially career-threatening Achilles tendon injury in Palermo
Juventus coach Antonio Conte immediately put his side's derby victory over Torino to one side to send his commiserations to Javier Zanetti after hearing the Inter captain had suffered a serious injury on Sunday.

The Bianconeri's victory moved them to within a single point of their second successive Scudetto, but their boss was more concerned with the plight of the veteran Nerazzurri skipper, whose career is reportedly in doubt because of a suspected Achilles tendon injury suffered against Palermo.

“First of all, before discussing the derby, I want to wish Zanetti a fast recovery and hope it is not as serious as people say,” Conte told Sky Sport Italia. “Like [injured Inter forward] Diego Milito, he is a player who made history and I couldn’t think higher of him as a player and a man.”

Turning his attention back to the win over their city rivals, Conte admitted Juventus had not been at its best and was thrilled they still took a huge step towards the title with late goals from Arturo Vidal and Claudio Marchisio.

"We wanted to win and we prepared very well for the game," the former Italy international explained. "But congratulations to Torino, who behaved in a very magnanimous manner.

"We would have been happy with a draw, but we found a win. Now we're missing only one point to make it mathematically safe, and to celebrate the title with three games remaining would be great."

Juventus, which is 11 points clear of Napoli with four rounds remaining, can clinch the title with a draw at home to Palermo next weekend.

 

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Stramaccioni: Zanetti injury serious

The 39-year-old Argentine defender was stretchered from the field after colliding with Rosanero center half Salvatore Aronica and is now facing an uncertain future.
Inter coach Andrea Stramaccioni has admitted captain Javier Zanetti appears to have suffered a "serious" Achilles tendon injury against Palermo on Sunday.

The 39-year-old Argentine was forced off just 17 minutes into the game at the Renzo Barbera, sparking fears that the Nerazzurri legend's hopes of playing one more season at the highest level might have been dashed.

"The Zanetti injury was not what we wanted," Stramaccioni told Sky Sport Italia. "I'm not a medic but a lesion on the Achilles tendon does sound serious.

"To have lost Javier is a terrible blow in what was already a difficult period for us. It's difficult to comment on a situation like this."

Stramaccioni also found it tough to talk about his job prospects, with Inter now seventh in Serie A, two points outside the European places.

"This relates to our directors, the president," he stated. "I must think only of the pitch. And we will continue to give everything we have on the pitch.

"I should not be the one to talk about the future. We are thinking of playing right until the death."

Josip Ilcic scored the only goal of the game in Palermo, firing home just 10 minutes in after capitalizing on an error from former Rosanero defender Matias Silvestre, and Stramaccioni did not hide his disappointment at the manner of the winner.

"We conceded a goal from our own poor play and paid dearly for a mistake," the Roman lamented. "We then had chances to score, but we didn't have many options up front. The guys in the field, however, have given their all."

Inter now faces a daunting trip to the San Paolo to take on second-placed Napoli without the club's captain.

 

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Barcelona's Valdes denies refusing to wear captain's armband

The Spain international, who is set to leave Camp Nou this summer, appeared to refuse to take on the responsibility following Xavi's substitution at San Mames
Barcelona goalkeeper Victor Valdes insists there was nothing untoward about his decision not to accept the captain's armband during Saturday's Liga clash with Athletic Bilbao.

Xavi skippered the Blaugrana at San Mames, but when he was withdrawn late in the game, the captain's armband was given to Valdes.

The Spain shot-stopper seemed to refuse to put it on, but he has now explained that he merely passed it on to teammate Lionel Messi because it did not fit him.

"Ceding the captain's armband to Leo during yesterday's game was for not other reason than because of a problem with size of it," Valdes wrote on Facebook.

"By not being able to adjust comfortably to my arm I decided to transfer it in the middle of the game."

Valdes, who is a produce of Barca's youth academy, is set to leave Camp Nou this summer after rejecting a new contract with the Catalan giants.

 

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Evian 0-1 Paris Saint-Germain: Pastore edges title ever closer for Ancelotti's side

Paris Saint-Germain could win the Ligue 1 title next weekend after the club defeated Evian 1-0 at Parc des Sports in Annecy on Sunday night.

A solitary goal from Javier Pastore early in the second period was sufficient for Carlo Ancelotti’s side to take another step towards the crown, though this was a match in which both sides missed some excellent chances and the visiting team finished with nine men following dismissals for Marco Verratti and David Beckham.

The decisive blow came after a first period in which PSG had fashioned some good openings without being particularly inspired. Pastore’s goal was therefore a little out of character for the match to that point as it involved a lovely flowing move that started with Jeremy Menez and ended when the Argentine bent a fine shot into the net from the edge of the box after a clever square pass from Christophe Jallet.

To that point, Zlatan Ibrahimovic had enjoyed PSG's best moments but had failed to find the net. After only four minutes he was denied by Bertrand Laquait, but it would be sneaking in at the back post following a free kick that the Swede really forced the goalkeeper to excel.

Late in the opening period the former AC Milan forward worked a good opening for Ezequiel Lavezzi, who struck his effort just wide.

It was shortly after opening the scoring that PSG enjoyed its best moments, though. From a Menez cross Verratti would scramble an effort against the bar before Ibrahimovic hit the follow up high. Moments later, Lavezzi pounced on an error from Laquait but could not get the ball beyond Cedric Mongongu, who was stationed on the line.

Relegation-threatened Evian woke up after that attack. Having been no threat whatsoever to that point, Salvatore Sirigu was called to make a stop from a Daniel Wass free kick and then reacted very quickly to prevent a powerful Saber Khlifa effort finding the net.

The pressure was mounting on PSG and only increased when Verratti was shown a second yellow card with 10 minutes left – a reaction that prompted the young Italian to be angrily berated by Ancelotti as he stormed towards the tunnel.

Beckham was brought on to add some calm, but in stoppage time he was also shown a red card for a stamping challenge on Khlifa, though he did not actually make contact with the forward.

Nevertheless, the capital side stood firm in the closing moments under significant scrutiny and will effectively tie up the Ligue 1 crown next weekend if it can beat Valenciennes due to a far superior goal difference to second-placed Marseille. Indeed, bettering the Provence side’s result at all will see PSG lift a first league title since 1993-94.

 

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PSG lata RED Cards 3nak

 

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Real Sociedad 4-2 Valencia: Basque side moves into pole position for Champions League spot

The race for the final Champions League spot in La Liga saw Real Sociedad create a five-point gap between itself and its nearest rival as the Basque outfit came out a 4-2 winner over Valencia at the Anoeta on Sunday evening.

Roberto Soldado had given Ernesto Valverde's men the lead in the first half, but a terrific volley from Inigo Martinez, a neat finish from Chori Castro, and a double from Imanol Agirretxe saw the home side walk out with all three points, despite receiving a late fright from Jonas.

Carlos Vela almost gave his side the perfect start after just two minutes. The home side hit the counterattack at pace down the left and the ball eventually came to the Mexican on the right side, but his whipped strike towards the far corner went just the wrong side of the post.

Valencia responded with a decent chance of its own four minutes later. Jeremy Mathieu curled an accurate 25-yard free kick over the wall which looked destined to nestle in the corner, but goalkeeper Claudio Bravo managed to get across to beat the set piece away from danger.

Both sides looked more than capable of opening the scoring, but it was the visiting team which struck the first blow 25 minutes in. Aly Cissokho skipped past a couple of challenges down the left flank and got to the bye line before curling a superb cross to the front post, and the predatory Soldado got in front of his marker to glance a header into the bottom corner.

Things could have been so much worse for Sociedad four minutes later when Bravo rushed off his line and appeared to touch the ball with his hand outside the box. But the goalkeeper was saved from a potential red card when the referee waved play on, having missed the call.

The home side looked buoyed from the slice of luck and got back on level terms 10 minutes before the end of the first half. A quick corner kick saw Castro pick up the ball on the left flank and float a cross to the back post for Martinez. The 21-year-old shook off the attention of Ricardo Costa and wonderfully side-footed the ball on the volley into the top right corner.

In the second half it was Valencia which benefited from the lenience of referee Fernandez Borbalan. A cross came in from the right side and Cissokho appeared to bat the ball away with both hands inside the area, but the official inexplicably failed to award Sociedad the penalty.

The Basque side was not down, though, and edged ahead with 18 minutes remaining through a sublime counterattack.

An Ever Banega free kick was cleared out of the box, and Agirretxe burst out of his own half before exchanging a scintillating one-two with Castro. The 26-year-old then galloped down the right wing before sliding a perfect pass back to the Uruguayan, who slotted in past the static Diego Alves.

The match looked to have been put to bed five minutes from time when Xabi Prieto clipped a lovely cross to the back post for Agirretxe who made no mistake and smashed a volley past Alves in the Valencia goal. However, Jonas pounced on a mistake from Bravo to head home from close range to make it 3-2, setting up a scintillating climax.

It was to be Sociedad's night though, and the club made it 4-2 in the last minute when Agirretxe ran through on goal and wonderfully chipped Alves, sending the Anoeta faithful into raptures. Sociedad now moves five points clear of Malaga and Valencia in fifth and sixth place in the league respectively, with the prospect of Champions League football looking more likely as the weeks progress.