The Welshman scored ten minutes from time to save Zinedine Zidane
Gareth Bale's stunning late header sent Real Madrid top - for now - and kept the Bernabeu club in the title race.
For the second week running, Zinedine Zidane's men were in desperate need of a goal after a disappointing display.
And Bale, their most dangerous player all afternoon, popped up ten minutes from time to keep this title race going down to the wire.
Real Madrid had struggled to create chances of any quality in a scrappy game that never really entertained.
With the quantity of injuries that the hosts brought into this game, Madrid should have come away with all three points.
But in a stuttering, disappointing display they saw the chances slip away and seemingly their hopes of the title... until Bale popped up with a crucial headed goal.
But what did we learn? Ed Malyon talks us through it...
1. Zinedine Zidane prioritises Man City
While Real Madrid are overtly claiming that the league and Champions League are of the same importance, Zinedine Zidane's line-up today suggested that there was some prioritising beginning to take place as he made five changes.
Of course, this was a Real Madrid side depleted by injuries (as their opponents were) but Zidane learnt his lesson from Vallecas a week ago.
He kept Luka Modric in the team, figuring it was easier to secure a result and then rest him than try to throw him onto the field desperately searching for a comeback.
Gareth Bale also started, as did a first-choice centre-back pairing but the rest of the side had a cobbled-together feel to it.
Real Madrid XI: Navas; Danilo, Varane, Ramos, Nacho; Casemiro, Modric, Rodriguez; Vasquez, Bale, Borja
Bench: Kiko Casilla, Pepe, Marcelo, Carvajal, Kovacic, Jese, Isco.
2. Real Sociedad blunted by injuries
The Txuri-Urdin are normally a tough proposition at Anoeta and beat Barcelona 1-0 here just a few weeks ago.
However, shorn of their four first-choice forwards this was always going to be an uphill battle.
With top scorer Imanol Agirretxe injured and Carlos Vela and Jonathas both also out, they couldn't even call on the talented Sergio Canales to shift forward and back him up.
Instead it was a makeshift frontline that relied on the bright spark of their academy, Mikel Oyarzabal.
It was the 19-year-old who scored the winner against Barca earlier this month and who David Moyes considered the future of this club, but without so many of La Real's quality players he struggled to make an impact.
Their attack revolved around creating chances from wide, as they usually do when Agirretxe is fit, but found themselves lacking a target as physical or clinical as the 13-goal centre-forward.
In an end-to-end game where they couldn't finish, the end result was inevitable against a side that just has a knack for winning right now.
Real Sociedad XI: Rulli; Mikel, Illarra, M.Bergara, Bruma, Prieto, Zurutuza, Yuri, Zaldua, Oyarzabal, Elustondo.
Bench: Olazabal, Granero, Pardo, Hector Hdez, Reyes, De la Bella, Bautista.
3. Borja Mayoral struggles from the start
By half-time Real Madrid had already let 12 shots fly at goal but hadn't scored. It was the most efforts they'd had without breaking through in La Liga this season and suggested they lacked a cutting edge, a touch of precision up front.
Borja Mayoral, stepping in for Karim Benzema today, was supposed to be Madrid's finisher extraordinaire. He's considered a traditional '9' and the role required of him today was that of a poacher, with plenty of talent around him to create chances.
But he simply wasn't involved, and Bale more often found himself in those central positions, begging the question 'where was Borja?'
Indeed, he was involved so little before his 60th-minute substitution that there aren't any pictures of him from the game.
Sorry.
4. Gareth Bale proves Madrid's only threat
Despite having the €80million James Rodriguez in midfield and one of the club's most highly-rated youngsters playing up front, Madrid's attacks were largely limited to finding Gareth Bale in one way or another.
Either the Welshman was charged with running past the defence to create a chance - although he was often stopped by a cynical foul - or he was a target for crosses.
It felt like Bale was winning every header, and in central positions he has shown just how good he can be aerially.
But for a side that was still stocked full of elite players it made Madrid look very one-dimensional in attack.
Fortunately, that dimension was enough.
Ten minutes from time Lucas Vazquez picked the ball up on the right and curled in a beautiful cross that was thumped home by Bale.
It was his 19th La Liga goal of the season and his ninth with his head, which officially makes Bale Europe's most lethal header of the ball.
5. James Rodriguez's Real Madrid career feels like it's over
0-0 at Anoeta and desperately needing a winner, Zinedine Zidane removed James Rodriguez from the pitch.
The Colombian, a shiny, very expensive toy bought by Florentino Perez after the last World Cup, walked off the field with a wry smile.
He knew what this meant as well as everyone else, but can not absolve himself of the blame.
While a number 10 like James doesn't fit into Zidane's system, and must be frustrated that there's no position for him, his performances simply haven't been good enough.
And the fact that he was taken off today because he didn't look likely to create or score the winner spoke volumes.
James Rodriguez's Madrid career looks to be in its final weeks and months.
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