Athletic Bilbao 2 - Málaga 2

Athletic: Imanol Etxeberria; Lacruz, Carlos García, Ferreira, Larrazábal; Urrutia, Edu Alonso; Joseba Etxeberria, Guerrero, Tiko; Urzaiz. 4-2-3-1.
Málaga: Contreras; Rojas, Larrainzar, Fernando Sanz, Bravo, Valcarce; Iznata, De los Santos, Movilla; Edgar, Darío Silva. 5-3-2.

Team changes: Bilbao: Edu Alonso, Guerrero for Alkiza, Ezquerro / Málaga: Iznata, Darío Silva for Luque, Catanha.

Goals:
0-1. 22. Darío Silva. Saw keeper off line and lobbed from 30 metres.
1-1. 37. Urzaiz. Powerful header from cross by Edu Alonso.
1-2. 39. Movilla (penalty). After Lacruz pulled back Valcarce.
2-2. 51. Tiko. Edu Alonso put through Etxeberria, who crossed from right.

End to end stuff at the San Mamés stadium (known throughout Spain as the Cathedral), with referee Megía Dávila once again taking front stage with his controversial decisions. Fans of the Bilbao 'lions' were happy to see Julen Guerrero return to the starting line up, and for once he was to play the full 90 minutes. Manager Luis Fernández decided to bring back the club captain following his recovery from back problems in the last few weeks, with Ezquerro returning to the bench. Edu Alonso was a surprise replacement for the suspended Alkiza, but then Luis is full of surprises, and in fact has not played the same team twice throughout the season. Málaga were without their top scorer Catanha, suspended for three weeks on video evidence after elbowing Numancia's Diego Jaume. Numancia did not want to prosecute as Jaume had provoked the Brazilian striker, but once again the disciplinary committee acted on their own volition. With Luque out for two or three weeks after injuring himself playing for Spain's under 21 side midweek, Darío Silva joined Edgar up front, and young midfielder Iznata came back in midfield. Darío, sporting a bright yellow haircut, was the hero and then the villain (or innocent victim?) of the match, scoring a glorious goal from 30 metres after spotting Imanol off his goal line. He then provoking the penalty in the second half when Imanol brought him down outside of the penalty area, the keeper being sent off rather harshly by the referee in the incident. However in injury time he charged in on substitute goalkeeper Lafuente (who came on for Edu Alonso after the sending off), and although he didn't touch the player, the young keeper acted as if he had been fouled. Mégia fell for it, and gave Darío his second yellow card and sent him off. As a result, if the disciplinary committee don't cancel the booking (which they have done before), Málaga will only have one available forward, Edgar, next week. After the sending off of Imanol, Málaga brought on Agostinho and Sandro, and Bilbao put on Ezquerro and Yeste near the end. The draw means that Bilbao stay in eighth place, still only a point below the UEFA spots. Málaga hold on to 13th position.

Espanyol 5 - Rayo Vallecano 1

Espanyol: Cavallero; Cristóbal, Pochettino, Nando, Navas; Velamazán, Galca, Sergio, Arteaga; Martín Posse; Tamudo. 4-4-1-1.
Rayo: Keller; Cota, Pablo Sanz, Hernández, Llorens; Ferrón, Poschner, Helder, Michel I; Luis Cembranos; Canabal. 4-4-1-1.

Team changes: Espanyol: Posse for Benítez / Rayo: Ferrón, Poschner, Canabal for Clotet, Alcázar, Michel II.

Goals:
0-1. 08. Canabal. After goalmouth scramble.
1-1. 18. Tamudo. Turned in with knee from close range.
2-1. 39. Posse. Shot deflected off defender after cross from Arteaga
3-1. 48. Arteaga. Received pass from Tamudo.
4-1. 50. Posse. Individualist goal after dribbling through defence.
5-1. 90. Velamazán. Pass from Galca across goal which De Lucas stepped over.

There were several number ten's on the park wearing blue and white shirts for this match, all with the name Benítez on the back. Unfortunately none of them belonged to the player, who watched the game on television in his hospital room after smashing his knee badly last week in a tackle with Atlético Madrid's Ayala. Benítez will definitely be out for a year, and may even have to retire from football if his injury doesn't heal properly, and Espanyol's forwards dedicated all their five goals to him. Paco Flores finally opted for Martín Posse ahead of De Lucas as his replacement, and he must have been happy with his decision, the Argentinian forward returning to the side to wreak havoc in the Rayo defence. In the beginning it didn't look like that, with Rayo scoring in a goalmouth scramble when nobody could get the ball away. However Rayo's makeshift defence, with Clotet, Alcázar and Estibariz all missing, started to leak water, and time and time again Posse and Tamudo exploited openings at the back. Pablo Sanz had dropped back to play in defence for this game, and Poschner had started his first match since returning from a long injury, but the side were unable to stop the floodtide, with Keller making spectacular saves but watching his impressive record in goal slowly slipping away. Juande Ramos made three changes early in the second half, with Amaya, Draper and Michel II replacing Poschner, Ferrón and Pablo Sanz, and Rayo started playing better. Posse and Tamudo were substituted late in the half by De Lucas and Serrano, both being given rousing applause as they left the field. This was a vital match for Espanyol to win, after dropping very close to the bottom of the table, and they now move up to 14th, only two points behind Rayo who are now tenth. Rayo's season seems to be going off the rails, and they must rue the decision of UEFA not to allow them to sign Shoji Jo, as they really need someone who can score goals. There is no reason to worry as yet, but they are only five points ahead of Real Sociedad in the first relegation spot. There again, they are only four away from the UEFA positions. Lets look on the bright side, eh?