Real Sociedad 1 - Espanyol 0

Real Sociedad: Alberto; Fuentes, Gurrutxaga, Loren; Rekarte, Khokhlov, Aranburu, Aranzábal; De Pedro, De Paula, Jankauskas. 3-4-2-1.
Espanyol: Cavallero; Cristóbal, Pochettino, Nando, Navas; Velamazán, Galca, Sergio, Arteaga; Martín Posse; Tamudo. 4-4-1-1.

Team changes: Real: No change / Espanyol: No change.

Goals:
1-0. 22. Jankauskas. Headed over keeper after long pass from Aranburu.

Real Sociedad finally climbed out of the relegation zone after 10 weeks with a laboured, and somewhat fortunate, victory against Espanyol. For once both managers decided on unchanged teams after Espanyol's 5-1 victory against Rayo last week and Real's draw at Santander. Posse kept his place up front for the visitors after his two goals last week, and Fuentes was able to play after the disciplinary committee put his sending off from last week on hold. Espanyol started strongly, with Velamazán shooting just wide and Alberto saving from Posse in the first ten minutes. However the home side took the lead with virtually their first attack of the game, Jankauskas scoring his third goal in five games since joining the club with a long header. In the second half Espanyol continued to attack, and only Alberto stood between them and defeat, saving from Nando and Cristóbal amongst others. Paco Flores brought on Serrano, then Roger and De Lucas for Posse, Arteaga and Sergio. Idiakez, Aldeondo and Gómez came on for the home side. Six minutes from time Real's López Rekarte got him self sent off in a stupid incident after applauding referee Puentes Leira when he gave him a first yellow card. You don't do that in Spain, and a second yellow followed immediately. Fuentes also got himself a yellow card, and as this was his fifth he will now miss at least one game, which could become two or more if the disciplinary committee decided to suspend him for the sending off last week as well. Galca will also miss the next match for the same reason. Both teams share 16th place, a point above Atlético Madrid and dangerously close to the bottom three. Real do have the direct goal average in their favour now over their rivals after a 0-0 draw in the first match. It could be important at the end of the season.

Sevilla 0 - Valladolid 1

Sevilla: Olsen; Marchena, Hibic, Prieto; Quevedo, Angel, Tsartas, Jesuli; Víctor; Olivera, Zalayeta. 3-4-1-2.
Valladolid: César; Torres Gómez, Heinze, Peña, Santamaría, Marcos; Lozano, Jiménez, Rodrigo; Víctor, Shoji Jo. 5-3-2.

Team changes: Sevilla: Jesuli, Víctor, Olivera for Héctor, Nando, Juan Carlos / Valladolid: Peña for Caminero.

Goals:
0-1. 54. Márquez. Shot only half stopped by Olsen after a cross from the left wing.

Sevilla did everything they could to win this match, but a magnificent performance by Valladolid keeper César left them closer than ever to returning from whence they came, viz the second division. Once again the crowd turned up in numbers, with almost 40,000 loyal followers taking advantage of reduced prices to cheer their team on: if the league was to be decided on support, both Sevilla and Atlético Madrid would now be in the Champions League. The reality is something else however, and Sevilla are now six points adrift of second to bottom Oviedo. To make matters worse, the scorer of the only goal was an ex Betis player, Márquez, who joined Valladolid in the winter transfer period after failing to get in Griguol's (now Hiddink's) side. Márquez came on for Shoji Jo just after half time, the Japanese forward being sacrificed to make room for an extra midfielder after referee Carmona Méndez had sent off Heinze for a second bookable offence shortly before the break. This was the first goal that Márquez has scored in four years, although he was close to getting a second after another shot hit the post later in the second half. Sevilla manager Marcos Alonso was without the suspended Héctor, and played an attacking line up, with three forwards, Víctor, Olivera and Zalayeta playing from the start. Gregorio Manzano brought back Peña in a five man defence, leaving a not fully fit Caminero on the bench, although the ex Spanish international was forced to come on halfway through the first half due to an injury to Lozano. In fact Caminero was the only Valladolid player to have a crack at goal in the first half, with the home side dominating play and coming up time and time again against César. During the match he must have made eight or ten first class saves, and Real Madrid must be happy that he has already signed a contract with them for next season. One by one the Sevilla forwards tried their luck, and when they got tired Alonso brought on three more, Moya, Juan Carlos and Loren replacing young Víctor, Zalayeta and Prieto during the second half. Manzano took off his Víctor (the new Spanish international one), his only remaining forward, bringing on another defender, Turiel, for the last ten minutes. It didn't matter much as fate was on their side, and they move right up the table to eleventh. Sevilla are now faced with a ground closure for their next home game as a knife was thrown on to the pitch earlier in the season, the decision having only just been ratified by the disciplinary committee.