Betis 1 - Mallorca 0

Betis: Prats; Otero, Crosa, Bornes, Filipescu; Merino, Karhan, Romero, Luis Fernández; Finidi, Alfonso. 4-4-2.
Mallorca: Leo Franco; Olaizola, Nadal, Siviero; David, Lauren, Engonga; Chichi Soler, Ibagaza; Biagini, Tristán. 3-3-2-2.

The two one-nil specialists of the Spanish league met and there could only be one result. This time it was the home side who came out victorious, Betis beating Mallorca with a single Finidi goal in the second half. Betis packed their side with defenders, with Otero and Bornes coming in to the defence, with Karhan and Luis Fernández adopting midfield roles. Alfonso was finally ruled fit, and kept his place up front alongside Finidi. Denilson (remember him) was still sitting out his three match suspension for insulting the referee. Fernando Vázquez brought in David at left back in place of the injured veteran Miguel Soler, and included Ibagaza in place of Carreras in midfield. Betis started strongly, and only good saves by Leo Franco from Karhan and Romero kept the match scoreless. Griguol replaced Luis Fernández with Benjamín at half time. In the second half the ice was finally broken by a good team move by the home side, Alfonso and Karhan working a one-two before the striker backheeled to Finidi, who's shot flew past Leo Franco from the edge of the area. The Nigerian striker, clearly upset by fans who had booed him throughout the match, refused any aclaim by his own players and stormed back to his own half for the kick off. Vázquez took off Chichi Soler, Ibagaza and Biagini, bringing on Serrizuela, Armando and Carlos, (the ex Sevillian striker being jeered by home fans), and Griguol brought on Alexis and Oli for Karhan and Alfonso. The victory by Betis takes them to ninth, one point ahead of 10th placed Mallorca.

Oviedo 4 - Sevilla 2

Oviedo: Esteban; Keita, Onopko, Boris; Eskurza, Paulo Bento, Rabarivony; Pompei, Losada, Juan González; Dely Valdés. 3-3-3-1
Sevilla: Rabadja; Marchena, Hibic, Tabaré; Paco Mije, Francisco, Jesuli; Quevedo, Tsartas, Otero; Juan Carlos. 3-3-3-1. Another match overshadowed by action in the court rooms was the relegation struggle between Oviedo and Sevilla. Four Uruguayan players from Sevilla, Tabaré, Zalayeta, Olivera and Otero, were arrested by police on Friday after morning training following a pub brawl at 4 o'clock the morning before. Tabaré was released quickly, but the other three were accused of actual bodily harm. The players claimed that the youths had insulted their wives, although the injured parties deny any such insult. Their manager Marcos Alonso defended the players, and included Tabaré and Otero in the starting line up, which saw the return of Quevedo and Jesuli in place of Nando and Loren. Luis Aragonés had no such problems, making only one change, Eskurza for the suspended Danjou. In the words of the venerable, the match was a cracker, with Oviedo finally running out winners in a six goal thriller. Sevilla took the lead first, with Juan Carlos turning in Otero's pass in a possible offside position just before the half hour mark. Onopko equalised five minutes later, heading in Pompei's cross, and Iván Iglesias put the hoe side in front in the 58th minute with a solo effort. With twenty minutes to go Juan Carlos scored his second of the match to level the match, but two minutes later Oviedo were back in front, Dely Valdés bundling the ball into the net with his knee from substitute Amieva's cross. Jaime wrapped things up with Oviedo's fourth goal in injury time. The result leaves Sevilla four points adrift at the bottom, with Oviedo joining four teams on seventeen points in next to last place.