Depor's second consecutive victory moved them a point ahead of in-form Barcelona, who visit Real Betis on Sunday. League leaders Real Madrid will host mid-table Sevilla defending a one-point lead over Valencia, who travel to Racing Santander.

Deportivo went ahead in the 11th minute with a shot from Uruguayan striker Walter Pandiani but the home side equalised just before halftime when Turkey's Nihat Kahveci shurgged off two challenges and drilled the ball into the corner.

In a tight second half, neither team was able to break the deadlock until the second minute of injury time.

Sociedad defender Aitor Lopez Rekarte tried to clear the ball over the bar under pressure from Deportivo striker Diego Tristan in the penalty area but drove it high into his own net.

In Saturday's other match, lowly Espanyol pulled off a surprise 2-1 victory over fifth-placed Atletic Bilbao thanks to two goals from captain Raul Tamudo, boosting their chances of avoiding relegation.

Atletic, who had beaten Real 4-2 in their previous league match, ended the game with nine men after two red cards. The loss to third-from-bottom Espanyol was a setback to the club's UEFA Cup hopes with only eight matches left to play.

Deportivo troubled Sociedad from the outset and Pandiani, who scored Deportivo's only goal in the mid-week clash against Milan, had a two opportunities in the first half.

His goal came from an incisive pass by Spanish midfielder Sergio that left Sociedad's defence standing while Pandiani crashed the ball past the keeper into the far side of the net.

Controversy surrounded Nihat's 43rd-minute equaliser as the Deportivo players accused him of tripping defender Cesar Martin before running clear on to a deep pass from Lopez Rekarte and driving it home.

Sociedad, already out of this season's Champions League and languishing 14th in the table, will feel unlucky not to have taken at least a point after having the best of the second half, with midfielder Valery Karpin missing a close-range chance.