Real Sociedad beat Rayo Vallecano 1-0 at the Reale Arena on Sunday, with Orri Oskarsson's second-half strike settling a tight La Liga contest and keeping the Basque side fifth in the table.

The match was goalless at half-time before Oskarsson broke the deadlock in the 67th minute, finishing from Ander Barrenetxea's assist to give the home side a lead they would not give up.

Sociedad had the better of the chances overall, recording 17 shots to Rayo's 11, although both sides managed three efforts on target. Possession was almost even, with the hosts holding 50.8 percent of the ball, and the game produced four yellow cards but no dismissals.

Rayo, who sit 14th in the table, pushed for an equaliser in the closing stages but could not find a way through a Sociedad defence that held firm to the final whistle.

The win takes Real Sociedad to 22 points from 12 games, keeping them fifth in La Liga, while Rayo remain on 12 points from 11 matches. It was a useful result for the hosts heading into the international break, consolidating their place in the European places after a mixed run of recent form.

The win continues a solid recent run for Sociedad, who had beaten Levante in their previous league outing and also recorded wins over Lillestrom and Malaga in other competitions, alongside a draw with Lyon. Their only recent setback had been a 2-1 defeat at Athletic Club, so the victory over Rayo keeps their momentum going into the international break.

Rayo arrived in San Sebastian in mixed form of their own, with wins over Celta Vigo and Recreativo Huelva in their recent matches, but defeats and draws elsewhere have left them in the lower half of the table. They had chances in this game but could not make them count, with both sides managing three shots on target despite Sociedad creating more overall.

The result came on a busy Sunday in Spain. Barcelona moved three points clear at the top of La Liga with a 2-1 win at Atletico Madrid, while Real Betis won 2-0 at Elche and Villarreal beat Getafe 2-0 to move eighth. Celta Vigo and Levante shared a goalless draw.

For Rayo, the defeat continues a difficult spell away from home, and they will look to regroup during the break before returning to league action later in November.

Sociedad, meanwhile, can head into the pause in the season satisfied with their position. Fifth place after 12 games keeps them firmly in the fight for the European places, and with the table tightly packed behind the leading sides, a consistent run after the break could push them higher still.