Rayo Vallecano 0 - Numancia 0

Rayo: Lopetegui; Cota, Amaya, Hernández, Alcázar; Llorens, Paco Sanz, Helder, Michel I; Bolo, Canabal. 4-4-2.
Numancia: Nuñez; Jaume, Muñiz, Iván Rocha, Octavio; Nagore, Moreau, Castaño, Iñaki; Chispa Delgado, Ojeda. 4-4-2.

Team changes: Rayo: Paco Sanz for Poschner / Numancia: Muñiz, Moreau for Soria, Pacheta.

Goals: None.

A miserable Sunday lunchtime in Vallecas, both on and off the pitch. As with most of Spain, the day was cold and rainy, with strong winds at times, and the bad weather seemed to affect the players' brains. However in the end both sides acknowledged that a point wasn't bad, as they climb a little further away from the danger zone towards relative safety. With none of the bottom ten clubs winning, Rayo are now 11th and Numancia are 13th, separated by one point. Given the conditions the 10,000 crowd was larger than expected, although it was swelled by the presence of around 4,000 supporters from the visitors' home town Soria. Their manager Goikoetxea was missing his midfield general Pacheta, who picked up another injury, but Muñiz returned to the defence after a one match suspension. Juande Ramos was also missing his playmaker Poschner, with Paco Sanz coming in to replace him. Despite pre-match reports to the contrary, the manager decided not to include Spanish international Luis Cembranos in the starting line up, keeping to the 4-4-2 formation which has seen them go four matches without defeat. The fist half was tense, with the rain making the ball slippery on the wet pitch, and the only chances were a shot from Ojeda in the first minute which brought a good save out of Lopetegui, and a save by Nuñez from a Hernández header at the other end halfway through the half. If anything Rayo were getting the better of the match, and Ramos broughto n Cembranos for Llorens around the hour mark, with Michel II replacing Bolo a few minutes later. Barbu and Soria replaced Iñaki and Moreau for the visitors around the same time, with Rivera coming on for Delgado near the end. Canabal had the best chance of the match ten minutes from time, but his header smacked against the crossbar, and a Hernández header was cleared off the line by Castaño. Referee Medina Cantalejo correctly disallowed a goal from Rayo's Alcázar in the second half when the ball entered the net without touching any other player from an indirect free kick. Rayo's Bolo picked up his fifth yellow card and will miss their next match at Bilbao, the team that loaned the player out this season.

Oviedo 2 - Málaga 2

Oviedo: Esteban; Danjou, Boris, Keita; Losada, Nadj, Paulo Bento, Rabarivony; Pompei, Dubovsky; Rubén. 3-4-2-1.
Málaga: Contreras; Rojas, Larrainzar, Fernando Sanz, Iznata; Ruano, Movilla, De los Santos, Rufete; Darío Silva, Catanha. 4-4-2.

Team changes: Oviedo: Losada, Pompei for Eskurza, Dely Valdés / Málaga:.Iznata for Valcarce.

Goals:
1-0. 08. Boris. Glancing header from free kick by Pompei.
1-1. 27. Catanha. Headed over Esteban after mix up between keeper and Danjou.
2-1. 33. Rubén. Header after another free kick from Pompei.
2-2. 60. Catanha. Picked up Keita miskick in area and shot into roof of net.

Oviedo sank further into the doldrums after throwing away a chance for a victory with two silly defensive errors. Twice they went into the lead, and twice they gifted goals to Málaga's leading striker Catanha. Both goals for the home side came in the first half from Pompei free kicks, with Boris heading the first and Rubén the second. Pompei was only just back in the side, replacing Dely Valdés who was away once more on international duty. Oviedo's defence was at sixes and sevens, with Keita having a hand in both of the visitor's goals. Firstly he miskicked a clearance, the ball bouncing back up to the edge of the penalty area. With Danjou and Esteban colliding, Catanha nipped in to head the ball over the pair of them, pick it up on the other side and score into the empty net. Then with the score at 2-1 in the second half, Keita hit another clearance backwards and there was Catanha to collect the ball and shoot past the keeper. The two goals takes the Brazilian striker to 21 goals, only one behind leading scorer Hasselbaink, and with his dual Spanish/Brazilian nationality about to be granted, he could still enter in Camacho's plans for the Euro 2000 tournament. Málaga should have scored on a couple of occasions in the first half, with Esteban saving twice at point blank range from De los Santos and Larrainzar clearing from Dubovsky with the ball three quarters over the goal line. At half time Peiró went for broke, using up all his substitutions with a triple change, Sandro, Roteta and Luque coming on for Rojas, Iznata and Dario Silva (who was accused of punching an Oviedo supporter after the match). Luis Aragonés brought on his three substitutes early as well ,with Fabio Pinto, then Iván Iglesias and finally Juan González entering for Dubovsky, Nadj and Rabarivony respectively. Other than the goals the two keepers dominated, and the visitors were the happier of the two to pick up a point which keeps them in 12th place. Oviedo's chances of survival are rapidly slipping away, although they still have to play relegation rivals Atlético Madrid and Real Sociedad (and Mallorca?) at home and Sevilla away. However they still haven't won away all season, and that could cost them their place in the first division.