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Second-half goals from Portu and Vinicius Junior ensured that Real Madrid and Real Sociedad could not be separated in a 1-1 draw on Monday.
The hosts made one change from the side that dispatched Real Valladolid last weekend, with manager Zinedine Zidane handing Isco his first league start since November.
Toni Kroos also made his 309th appearance for Los Blancos, making him the German with the most appearances in the club's history.
A highly tactical match saw Real Madrid hog most of the possession but they failed to make it count. Meanwhile, Real Sociedad used the speed of Alexander Isak to hit the capital side on the counter.
The first big chance of the first half came when Lucas Vazquez and Luka Modric combined well down the right flank. This allowed the Spain international to send a lobbed cross into the box.
Mariano Diaz could, however, not take advantage as he headed the ball onto the crossbar. Marco Asensio showed great technique to control the rebound but saw his goal-bound shot deflected behind for a corner.
The visitors had several chances on the counter but were let down by poor decision-making in the final third. They did not register a shot on target until late in the first half.
Zidane made a tactical change at the break, with Casemiro dropping back into defense, while Vazquez and Ferland Mendy played as wing-backs.
Real Sociedad started the second half on the front foot and won four corner kicks in quick succession, with Real Madrid struggling to hold on to possession.
Real Sociedad finally got the goal that their bright start deserved when Nacho Monreal delivered an excellent cross to the far post, which Portu sent beyond Thibaut Courtois with a pristine header.
This prompted Zidane into action, and he made three changes on the hour mark. The entire front three was hauled off, with Vinicius, Rodrygo and Hugo Duro coming on in their stead.
Rodrygo was making his return from a long-term injury that left him sidelined for several months. This was also Vinicius' 100th appearance for Real Madrid, making him the fourth-youngest player to achieve this milestone.
Having weathered the initial storm at the start of the second half, Real Madrid slowly seized the initiative and began to ask all the questions.
Casemiro, in particular, was guilty of missing several gilt-edged chances, while Rodrygo also sent a shot narrowly wide.
A deserved equalizer came in the 89th minute when Valverde's exquisite backheel set Lucas Vazquez on his way. The 29-year-old then sent yet another cross into the box and in the ensuing chaos, Vinicius popped up to bundle the ball over the line.
The victory saw Real Madrid move up to 53 points, five behind city rivals Atletico Madrid ahead of their crunch fixture at the Wanda Metropolitano next week.
Here are five talking points from the highly entertaining fixture.
#5 Two points dropped or one gained?
Real Madrid came into this clash six points behind Atletico Madrid, who still have a game in hand.
A victory here would have seen them reduce the deficit to three. It would have also handed Los Blancos the advantage heading into the Madrid derby.
However, Zidane's side fluffed their lines, leaving Los Colchoneros calling all the shots in what is set to be one of the most thrilling title races in a while.
Despite failing to get the job done, the manner in which Real Madrid snatched a point came as a relief to fans of the club, as defeat was a genuine possibility with less than a minute to go.
In the context of the title race, this represents a two-point drop. However, on evidence of how the game went, Real Madrid can count themselves lucky to have gotten something against Real Sociedad.
#4 Portu continues fine run against Real Madrid
Christian Portu's well-taken goal was his 7th of the current campaign. It also ensured that he continued to be a thorn in the flesh of Real Madrid.
Having scored two winning goals against the Bernabeu outfit while in the colors of Girona, the 28-year-old came to the fore once again.
Despite the goal not being a match-winner unlike his previous two goals, Real Sociedad left the capital with an invaluable point.
#3 Vinicius Jr marks milestone for Real Madrid with important goal
Vinicius Jr joined Real Madrid from Flamengo in a big-money move in 2018. Despite having all the tools to be a genuine world-beater, the 20-year-old still lacks the end-product that would have set him apart as a true great.
In many ways, he is still very much an unrefined product, which has been rather disappointing considering the high levels he has been playing at for the last three years.
Having lost his place in the starting lineup in recent weeks, the Brazil international stepped off the bench against Real Sociedad with just under 30 minutes remaining.
This happened to be his 100th appearance for Real Madrid (with 13 goals scored), and only three players in the club's history have made a century of appearances at a younger age than him.
All three are bonafide legends, with Raul Gonzalez, Jose Camacho and Iker Casillas all having written their names into the club's folklore.
With time running out, Vinicius happened to be in the right place at the right time to get a deserved equalizer for Real Madrid.
This was only his third goal from 22 La Liga appearances this season (underlining his lack of end product). It was his first goal in the league since scoring the opener in the 2-0 away victory over Levante on 4 October 2020.
#2 Zinedine Zidane's ill-advised half-time switch backfires
Real Madrid were totally dominant in the first half and barely allowed Real Sociedad a sniff of the ball. David Silva was largely on the periphery, and the visitors relied on counterattacks to try and get something out of the game.
However, Zidane made a rather curious decision to switch to a back-three at the start of the second half, with Casemiro dropping back into the center of defense.
This saw Real Madrid lose their previous grip in midfield, as Toni Kroos and Luka Modric were overrun by David Silva, Mikel Oyarzabal and Ander Guevera. It also gave the visitors the impetus to attack down the flanks, with Nacho Monreal and Gorosabel having a lot of room on the wings.
In what was a shocking start to the second half, the hosts struggled to hold on to possession and were there for the taking by their Basque opponents.
Monreal took up the free space that was available to him and made the cross that led to the opening goal.
Apart from the goal, Real Sociedad also fashioned some other notable chances to down Real Madrid. However, they failed to take them.
Zidane quickly realized his errors and reverted to a flat back four protected by a three-man midfield. This ultimately saw the home side seize the initiative to put Sociedad back on the backfoot.
Speaking after the game, the Real Madrid manager expressed his dissatisfaction with the pressing of his team in the first half. He, however, conceded that his team is best-suited to a 4-3-3.
#1 In-form Alexander Isak fails to make history
Alexander Isak came into this game as one of the most in-form forwards in La Liga, having scored 12 goals from his 21 games in the league this season.
His most recent haul saw him net a hat-trick in the 4-0 demolition of Alaves last week. This ensured that he scored in six games consecutively, equalling the feat achieved by Darko Kovacevic - who netted eight goals in six consecutive La Liga games for Real Sociedad in 2002.
Despite coming up against the might of Real Madrid, the Sweden international would have fancied his chances of finding the back of the net considering his superb form.
However, a lack of service in the opening stages ensured that he did not get too many chances, although he had a good chance to run at the hosts' defense in the first half.
Isak's best chance of the night came when a defensive error by Nacho allowed Portu to find him in the box at the start of the second half. However, he delayed his run to the near post and could not take advantage of the excellent square ball.
The 21-year-old was substituted in the 82nd minute for Carlos Fernandez, ensuring that his record-breaking run in front of goal came to an end.
