Deportivo also dropped a place, down to fifth, after losing 2-0 to one of the bottom clubs, Valencia. Valencia have been struggling in the league whilst concentrating their efforts on the Champions League, but the quality of their squad is beyond doubt. Cúper kept the same block of players who played midweek against Munich, keeping Angulo at right back and only bringing in Djukic for the injured Bjorklund. Deportivo also kept a similar side to the one that played in the UEFA cup against Montpellier on Tuesday, leaving out second striker Makaay for midfielder Fernando (Irureta has been playing one striker, Pauleta, in away matches, and two in home matches). Valencia went ahead in the 26th minute through Kily González after Gerard touched on Ilie's pass, with Deportivo's claims for offside ruled away by referee Mejuto González. Irureta replaced Pauleta and Fernando with Makaay and Turu Flores in the second half, and Cúper rested Kily and Claudio López halfway through the second half with an eye on Tuesday's Champions League match in Glasgow. Four minutes from time Gerard rose above the Coruña defence to head in Mendieta's cross for the second. Valencia rise to fourteenth and seem to be recovering from their bad start to the season.

Real Madrid went for their seventh day in a row without a league victory and commentators are already starting to talk about a crisis. Their 1-1 draw at Sevilla was unconvincing, and Toshack is already talking about strengthening the squad in December. In an attempt to kick start the team's performance and to rest key players (the famous rotation system), Toshack brought in five changes, Bizarri, Karembeu, Seedorf, Iván Helguera and Guti all coming in to the starting line up, with Raúl, Savio and Redondo all on the bench. Marcos Alonso brought back Tsartas to the Sevilla side, and it was the Greek midfield star who opened the scoring with his fourth goal from a free kick this season in the 20th minute. Toshack brought on Savio for Morientes and Raúl for Karembeu in the second half, but he was forced to replace Savio only a quarter of an hour after he had come on as the Brazilian forward strained a leg muscle, an injury that is likely to keep him out of the side for around three weeks. It fell to Raúl once again to pull the chestnuts out of the fire (as they say around here), beating Valencia with a chipped shot seven minutes from time after a clever back-heel from Seedorf. Both Raúl and Anelka appeared to be just offside, but referee Puentes Leira allowed the goal to stand. Both Real Madrid and Sevilla have drawn five out of their eight matches this season, and Madrid are now in eighth position, with Sevilla dropping to nineteenth despite picking up a point. Toshack was later seen at both the Rayo Vallecano and the Atlético Madrid matches sitting at the back. Looking for a new job perhaps?