Five things we learned from Week 18 in La Liga - Featuring La Real’s goal-mad midfielder

Sociedad rule in the Basque Country

Perhaps the most eagerly anticipated game of 2014’s opening round of fixtures was the Basque derby at Anoeta between Real Sociedad and Athletic Club Bilbao.

Coming into the game both teams had been impressive form, allowing Athletic to elevate themselves into the Champions League places and la Real to lift themselves from the bottom half, following a disappointing start to the campaign, into fifth position.

What followed was actually a fairly sloppy game and, given that these are two sides who like to play football, it was surprising to see both teams pass completion under 80 per cent.

Although that’s unlikely to bother Sociedad given they won on the stat that mattered: goals scored.

And they always were likely to win on that count given they’re the Basque side with the goal scorer at the moment: Antoine Griezmann.

The Frenchman scored his 12th goal of the season—bettered only by Cristiano Ronaldo and Diego Costa—and Ruben Pardo the other as Real Sociedad won 2-0 to cut the gap on their rivals to just a solitary point.