Javier Clemente got his first win as manager of Real Sociedad in his home debut agianst Valladolid, making a good start to reconcile himself with the fans that hated him as an Athletic de Bilbao supporter. Clemente played with Sa Pinto as lone striker, a new role for the Portuguese midfielder, with De Paulo and De Pedro wide on the flanks. López Rekarte and Mutiu came back into the side after a one match suspension. Manzano kept Peternac and Víctor together in the Valladolid attack, with Vizcaino returning in midfield. The San Sebastian forward trio got a goal apiece as the home side cruised to a 3-0 comfortable victory. De Pedro got the first with a rare header from Sa Pinto's cross, and Sa Pinto added the second before half time after winning the ball in the goal area, a goal which was strongly protested by the Valladolid defence. De Paula wrapped it up in the fourth minute of the second half, again from Sa Pinto's pass. Bonilla came on for De Paula later on in the half. With Clemente on the bench, Real Sociedad should now start to climb up the table. Valladolid sink to next to bottom, but are only 3 points away from 10th place so it is still early to start worrying. They still however have yet to score a goal in Real's Anoeta stadium after seven matches. Javier De Pedro was presented with 600 bottles of wine by a local bottling company before the match for scoring the first goal of the season from outside of the area. This is a local tradition in this part of the world, and players are forever receiving gifts of food and drink for particular achievements.

Nobody was keen to give any presents however to the other Basque side Athletic Bilbao, nor to their rivals of the day Sevilla. They played a dull goal-less draw in Sevilla, and home team manger Marcos Alonso must be the first division manager closest to the brink as his team stayed in last place, now two points behind Valencia and Valladolid. Alonso included five Uruguayans in his side, with keeper Valencia facing his old team. Luis Fernández played with two of his three full internationals in the side, Guerrero and Joseba Etxeberria, but once again left Urzaiz on the bench. Athletic looked the most likely to score, and Alkiza had a goal disallowed in the second half. Zalayeta had a good shot saved by Imanol Etxeberria. Other than that, not a lot happened. Athletic have got permission from the football federation for their international players to stay on to Thursday to allow them to play in next Wednesday's cup match against Melilla. Sevilla's ground is to be closed for one game, pending appeal, after a knife was thrown on to the pitch in their game with Betis.