With Sunday’s Madrid Derby now on the horizon, Real Madrid missed a massive opportunity to ratchet up the pressure on Atlético by slipping to a 1-1 draw with Real Sociedad at Estadio Alfredo Di Stéfano on Monday night.

Real clearly felt the absence of Karim Benzema up top — along with the continued unavailability of Sergio Ramos, Eden Hazard, Dani Carvajal and Éder Militão — and today’s starting front three of Marco Asensio, Mariano and Isco was hooked en masse in the 61st minute after Portu had put Sociedad up 1-0 in the 55th.

BARCELONA - Former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu was arrested on Monday after Catalan police officers searched the LaLiga club's offices.

A regional police spokeswoman confirmed several arrests had been made following an investigation by the force's financial crimes unit, without confirming the number of arrests made or their identities.

Ronald Koeman's Barcelona, third place in LaLiga on 50 points, travels south on Saturday to take on Sevilla, just two points behind them in fourth.

Barcelona stayed within two points of Real Madrid and five of Atlético following a comforting 3-0 win over relegation-threatened Elche at the Camp Nou on Wednesday. Lionel Messi was the star of the show with two goals before playing a large role in Jordi Alba’s third, and the Argentine is now LaLiga’s outright top scorer with 18 goals in 22 games. 

The first half saw nice bits of skill from Frenkie de Jong, Messi and Pedri, but Barcelona couldn’t find the opener with Francisco Trincão wasting the best opportunity of the opening 45.

Mesa servida para los dirigidos por el entrenador neerlandés. El “Atleti” pierde en casa ante el Levante  en la jornada sabatina, y coloca la liga española al rojo vivo.

El Real Madrid, segundo clasificado del torneo;  a cuentagotas y con notables bajas, hace los deberes y se impone en el José Zorrilla por la mínima, ante un siempre complicado, Real Valladolid CF. Barsa, a hacer lo propio ante el Cádiz en su casa.

Mesa servida para los dirigidos por el entrenador neerlandés. El “Atleti” pierde en casa ante el Levante  en la jornada sabatina, y coloca la liga española al rojo vivo. El Real Madrid, segundo clasificado del torneo;  a cuentagotas y con notables bajas, hace los deberes y se impone en el José Zorrilla por la mínima, ante un siempre complicado, Real Valladolid CF. Barsa, a hacer lo propio ante el Cádiz en su casa.

BARCELONA - Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman said he was even more disappointed by his side being held to a 1-1 draw at home to Cádiz in LaLiga on Sunday than after last week's 4-1 home drubbing by Paris St Germain.

Barça led thanks to Lionel Messi's 32nd-minute penalty but they failed to kill their opponents off and Álex Fernández leveled in the 89th minute, ending a run of seven straight league wins for the Catalans.

Luis Suárez is LaLiga's top scorer with 16 goals (one more than his friend Lionel Messi), his form seems at an all-time high and his appetite for goals, which has never been in question, is more voracious than ever.

And it's all at the service of an Atlético Madrid that bet on him when FC Barcelona gave him an unpleasant exit. It is a deserved reward.

Luis Suarez has scored 16 goals in his first 17 matches with Atletico Madrid in La Liga.