Messi takes Barca past Sociedad; Real win
Football Spanish League
Barcelona stayed hard on the heels of La Liga leaders Real Madrid when Lionel Messi's brilliance lifted a side containing several youngsters from the club's B team to a 2-1 win at home to Real Sociedad on Saturday. 
Real had earlier deployed close to their strongest team in a 1-0 victory at city rivals Getafe, defender Sergio Ramos nodding in the only goal on a bitterly cold and blustery night at the Coliseum stadium that lifted them to 55 points from 21 matches.
Coach Pep Guardiola had opted to start with regulars including World Cup-winners Xavi, Sergio Busquets and Gerard Pique on the bench.
B-team players Jonathan Dos Santos, Cristian Tello and Isaac Cuenca were included in the starting 11, with Cesc Fabregas taking on the playmaker role in central midfield.
Pacy 20-year-old Tello opened the scoring in the ninth minute when he dashed in from the left wing on to a Messi through ball and finished clinically past goalkeeper Claudio Bravo, his debut goal for the first team.
Messi made it 2-0 in the 72nd minute when he hooked in a Daniel Alves cross before Carlos Vela pulled one back for the visitors two minutes later.
Messi's strike put him on 23 league goals for the season, one behind Real forward and top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo.
The Spanish and European champions' night was spoiled by a nasty-looking injury to Busquets.
In the earlier kickoff in Madrid, Ramos rose above the home defence to head a Mesut Ozil corner high into the net in the 18th minute as Real brushed aside the team who inflicted Barca's only defeat of the season in November.
They comfortably held a toothless Getafe at bay and it was a sixth straight league win for Jose Mourinho's side since they lost 3-1 at home to Barca in December.
Fourth-placed Levante, Valencia's second club, missed the chance to close within two points of their more illustrious city rivals when they surrendered the lead and were held to a 1-1 draw at home by struggling Racing Santander. A diving header from striker Arouna Kone put Levante ahead in the 23rd minute before midfielder Manuel Arana levelled for Santander just past the hour.
The draw leaves Levante without a win in six games since they beat Sevilla 1-0 in December and puts them on 32 points, four behind Valencia, who play at a resurgent Atletico Madrid on Sunday.
Athletic Bilbao were on the verge of leapfrogging Levante into the Champions League qualifying spot but conceded an added time goal in a 3-3 draw at home to Espanyol.
Barcelona-based Espanyol are fifth on 32 points behind Levante on goal difference, with Bilbao two points back on 30 and Atletico on 29 in seventh.
Real Mallorca climbed away from the relegation places when Gonzalo Castro's splendid first-half freekick was enough for a 1-0 win at home to Real Betis.
