Racing Santander 1 - Honka Espoo 0

Racing: Coltorti; Oriol, Garay, César Navas, Sepsi (Canales 70'); Gonçalves (Munitis 60'), Luccin, Edu Bedia, Oscar Serrano (Gonçalves 65'); Juanjo (Tchité 80'), Jonathan Pereira. 4-4-2.
Honka: Peltonen; Jalasto, Hakanpää, Heilala, Koskinen; Haarala, Turunen, Vasara, Perovuo (Lepola 54'); Weckström, Vuorinen (Kokko 80'). 4-4-2.

Goals:
1-0. 46. Jonathan Pereira. Picked up pass from Juanjo and cut in to beat keeper.

Racing Santander have been waiting 95 years to participate in Europe, and they celebrated with a 1-0 win over the wonderfully named Honka Espoo. With one eye on next weekend's game against Real Madrid, coach Juan Ramón Muñiz made nine changes to his line up. But they struggled to beat the Finnish side, and could have gone behind in the first minute when Hakanpää got the ball in the net only for the strike to be ruled out for a previous foul.

After that though the Cantabrians took control, Oscar Serrano going close two or three times and Jonathan Pereira almost lobbing keeper Peltonen. And in the first minute after the break the young striker got what was to prove the only goal after Juanjo set him up. Juanjo, Munitis and Jonathan all had chances after that without success, and they now face a tricky second leg on an artificial pitch.