Barcelona held off Real Socieded in a rather tight battle, 2-1, on Saturday at Camp Nou.

Christian Tello scored in the ninth minute, and the score remained 1-0 going into half time.

Lionel Messi put the Catalans up 2-0 in the 72nd minute, but Carlos Vela, on loan from Arsenal, scored two minutes later to cut the deficit in half.

Xavi, Gerard Pique, Eric Abidal, and Alexis Sanchez were on the bench for Barcelona, and did not enter the match as a substitute.

With Real Madrid getting a win, Barcelona kept pace and are seven points out of the lead in La Liga. The two teams will meet at Nou Camp on April 22.

Though it was a tight game, the statistics didn't show it. Barcelona took 18 shots with nine on goal, while Real Sociedad took eight shots with five on goal. Barcelona has possession for 71 percent of the match.

Barcelona will play Osasuna on the road on Feb. 11, while Real Sociedad's next match is on Feb. 13 when they host Sevilla.

Here are the highlight of the Barcelona - Real Sociedad match:

Barcelona - Real Sociedad 2:1 Highlights by Paluch00

Real Madrid Lionel Messi Lionel Messi Real Madrid