Neymar ends Barcelona hoodoo
Neymar's first-half penalty saw holder Barcelona beat Real Sociedad 1-0 in the Copa del Rey on Friday (AEDT), ending its curse at the Anoeta.
Barca had failed to win its last eight matches at the Basque venue going into the first leg of this quarter-final tie, with its last victory coming back in 2007.
But that unwanted streak ended after Neymar won and converted the spot-kick himself for what proved to be the only goal of the game.
Barca, seeking a third consecutive Copa crown, is now in a strong position to progress ahead of the second leg at Camp Nou next Friday.
In LaLiga, only six points separate Barca and La Real, who faces a tough task to continue its path towards a first final appearance since 1988.
While the two teams were evenly matched, with neither goalkeeper particularly busy, Barca held on in relative comfort, without Jasper Cillessen having a major save to make.