AP - AC Milan midfielder Sulley Muntari (right) celebrates with teammate Keisuke Honda after scoring his side's second goal, during their Serie A match against Lazio at the San Siro yesterday. AC Milan won 3-1.

BARCELONA, Spain (AP):

Real Madrid collapsed after leading by two goals to lose 4-2 at Real Sociedad in the Spanish league yesterday, with the European champions left rudderless without the injured Cristiano Ronaldo.

Lionel Messi, meanwhile, finished Barcelona's 1-0 win at Villarreal with a right leg injury after he set up substitute Sandro Ramirez to score on his debut.

Messi assisted on the 82nd-minute winner and played the full match, but his club said after the game, he had injured a right leg muscle and would undergo tests today.

Madrid looked set to romp at Anoeta Stadium after dominating the first half hour with goals by Sergio Ramos and Gareth Bale.

But David Zurutuza scored twice on either side of goals by Inigo Martinez and Carlos Vela as the hosts roared back to leave Madrid's players with blushes to match their bright pink kits.

corner kick

"We were horrible," said Madrid goalkeeper Iker Casillas. "The game was negative in every aspect. We can't continue to play like this."

"We began with many doubts after our elimination the other day, but we turned it around with a lot of courage and attitude," said Xabi Prieto, who flicked on a corner kick for Martinez's goal and crossed for Zurutuza to score what proved to be the winner.

final hour

Carlo Ancelotti will have to answer why his squad with stars like Bale, Karim Benzema and James Rodriguez failed to compete for the final hour. Madrid, which had already lost the Spanish Super Cup to Atletico Madrid, slipped two points behind Barcelona.

With Ronaldo out to nurse his nagging leg injuries, Ramos and Bale took over the scoring duties.

Ramos headed in Toni Kroos' corner kick in the fifth minute before Bale doubled the lead six minutes later with an audacious dribble to put the ball between the legs of Gorka Elustondo before scoring.

Martinez swung the tide when he slipped behind Ramos to score in the 35th. Zurutuza equalised in the 41st when he thumped in Albert de la Bella's cross.

Casillas grazed Imanol Agirretxe's header wide in the 48th but could do nothing to stop Zurutuza's second goal in the 65th before Vela added another in the 75th.