Levante 3 : 2 Real Sociedad - Superb Suarez strike sinks Sociedad
Posted Wednesday, October 26, 2011 by PA
Ruben Suarez scored a wonderful free-kick deep into stoppage time to give Levante a 3-2 win over Real Sociedad which takes them back to the top of the Primera Division.
Daniel Estrada had given the visitors the lead as early as the fourth minute and Sociedad could have been further ahead by half-time but Alberto De La Bella and Inigo Martinez struck the bar.
However, Levante roared back at the start of the second and scored twice in five minutes either side of the hour mark through Nano and Valdo.
Martinez brought Sociedad back level with a fine finish from the edge of the box with three minutes remaining, before Ruben's fierce strike from 30 yards with virtually the last kick of the game handed Levante the three points.
Sociedad came into the match on a run of only one point from the last 12, but that apparent lack of form did not show early on as they bossed Levante in the first half.
A rare error from Gustavo Munua led to the opener as the goalkeeper failed to clear a simple through ball, and the rebound fell kindly to Estrada on the edge of the area to sweep home into the empty net.
De La Bella nearly extended the lead three minutes later as he strode purposefully into the area before hitting a rising drive that came back off the bar.
At the other end, Jose Barkero wasted Levante's best chance of the half as he shot tamely wide following great play by Arouna Kone down the left, and the hosts could easily have conceded again before half-time as Martinez's header from a corner looped over Munua and back off the bar.
Levante improved greatly after the break but their equaliser was reflective of some of the luck they have had on their six-game winning run.
Nano's cross back into the area deflected up off Vadim Demidov and over Claudio Bravo in the Sociedad goal.
Five minutes later the home side had the lead as a great ball in by Barkero was powered home by Valdo.
Once in front Levante were happy to sit deep again and play on the counter-attack and that allowed Sociedad to find a way back into the game.
The visitors eventually drew level after 87 minutes when Sergio Ballesteros' clearance from a free-kick down Sociedad's right only fell to Martinez on the edge of the area, and he made no mistake with an accurate left-footed drive beyond Munua.
Levante's leadership of the league seemed to be slipping away but, when Vincent Iborra was brought down by David Zurutuza midway inside the Sociedad half, Ruben stepped up a shot through the wall, low and hard into Bravo's bottom left hand corner to snatch the points.
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