Sevilla 1 - Valencia 2

Sevilla: Olsen; Héctor, Marchena, Hibic, Nando; Víctor (Jesuli 73'), Angel (Francisco 60'), Juric; Tsartas; Juan Carlos (Olivera 65'), Zalayeta. 4-3-1-2.
Valencia: Cañizares; Anglomá, Djukic, Pellegrino, Fagiani (Bjorklund 73'); Angulo, Albelda, Gerard, Farinós; Juan Sánchez (Mendieta 55'), Piojo López. 4-4-2.

Team changes: Sevilla: Marchena, Nando, Tsartas for Germán, Tabaré, Jesuli / Valencia: Fagiani, Albelda for Carboni, Kily González.

Goals:
0-1. 70. Mendieta. Header over keeper after cross from Piojo on left.
1-1. 78. Jesuli. Picked up ball and dribbled across penalty area before shooting.
1-2. 91. Zalayeta (own goal). Headed corner back pressured by Pellegrino.

Sevilla were effectively condemned to the second division by one of their own players. With the teams drawing as the match entered injury time, their Uruguayan centre forward Zalayeta, helping out his defence, seemed to temporarily forgot where he was and headed a corner from Valencia's Farinós into his own net while under pressure from Pellegrino. To be fair they were virtually doomed anyway, and even a victory would have done little good. After the day's result they are now ten points away from 17th placed Oviedo with five games left, and with city rivals Betis yet to play their match in hand. Caretaker manager Juan Carlos Alvarez recovered Marchena and Nando in defence after suspension, and decided to bring Greek international in to the starting eleven in place of Jesuli. Héctor Cúper was missing Carboni and Kily González, both injured. Carboni will miss Valencia's Tuesday night Champions League game with Lazio, and Kily is doubtful. Club captain Mendieta was available for selection after missing several matches with an injury, but Cúper decided to save him for the second half. That meant that his midfield was made up of the four under 21 internationals, with Albelda returning to the starting line up after recovering from his layoff. All four have been subject to transfer speculation in the last few days, although Gerard, rumored to have already signed for Milan, strongly denied that he had committed himself, adding that he was studying an offer of renewal from his club. Valencia were the better side in the first half, with Piojo always creating danger and Angulo coming forward to join the attack. However Sevilla did get the ball in the net twice, but referee Losantes Omar correctly ruled out the plays for offside. Less clear was the decision not to award a penalty, as Farinós appeared to pull back Víctor. Mendieta came on early in the second half, and the capi made his mark in only ten minutes, his well placed header from Piojo's cross leaving Olsen with no chance. Alvarez immediately brought on his match saber Jesuli, and the youngster levelled the scores with a classy goal, taking the ball past several players on the edge of the area before beating Cañizares with a shot into the top of the net. It looked like a point apiece before Zalayeta's failed clearance finally sank the ship. Valencia were grateful, as the extra two points takes them closer to European football next season and even within sight of a place in the Champions League. They now have to finish off the good work they started at home against Lazio in this season's edition, and must be a fairly safe bet for a place in the semi-finals against Chelsea or Barcelona. A season that started off dreadfully is now coming good, and Cúper looks like he's here to stay for a while yet. May the force be with him.

Real Sociedad 4 - Athletic Bilbao 1

Real Sociedad: Alberto; Corino (Fuentes 20'), Gurrutxaga, Pikabea, López Rekarte (De Paula 46'); Juan Gómez, Aranzábal; Sa Pinto, Khokhlov, Aranburu (De Pedro 70'); Jankauskas. 4-2-3-1.
Athletic:Lafuente; Lacruz, Carlos García, Felipe; Larrazábal, Alkiza (Edu Alonso 55'), Urrutia (Javi González 87'), Larrainzar; Guerrero (Imaz 75'); Joseba Etxeberria, Ezquerro. 3-4-1-2.

Team changes: Real: Pikabea, Aranburu for Loren, De Paula / Bilbao: Larrazábal, Guerrero for Rios, Tiko.

Goals:
0-1. 34. Pikabea (own goal). Ball hit defenders foot after a corner and entered net.
1-1. 35. Aranzábal. Picked up loose ball in penalty area and rounded defender.
2-1. 50. Khokhlov. First time shot from 30 metres after Lafuente headed clear.
3-1. 56. De Paula. Controlled Khokhlov's long pass with upper arm and shot.
4-1. 90. De Paula. Header following corner from right.

Javier Clemente's Real Sociedad kept up recent tradition with a trouble free victory over Luis Fernández's Athletic Bilbao in the Basque derby. Today's result means that the San Sebastian team have gone an incredible fifteen games since their last defeat at the hands of the Bilbao Lions, turning the league form books upside down time and time again. The build up to this match was dominated by vitriolic accusations between the two managers, with Fernández accusing his rival of being a traitor and Clemente responding that his opponent was a little short on brain cells, and on the day the two ignored each other, refusing even shake hands before or after the game. The match was not without its morbid fascination, with Clemente, a league title winning manager of Bilbao and a paid up season ticket holder of the club, trying to save their arch rivals from relegation by beating the team he has supported all his life. Meanwhile Fernández was still in charge despite being told that his services will no longer be required after the end of June, and his current job is to save a team from relegation that he will no longer be part of in ten weeks time. There was a brother in each squad, although Félix Guerrero is no longer one of Clemente's first choice players and he had to watch big brother Julen from the stands. Another player out of favour with Clemente is Spanish international Javier De Pedro, and he has been linked recently with a move down the Basque coast to to Bilbao. Clemente had to change his plans at the last minute when captain Loren injured himself in the pre-match warm up, and Pikabea came in as a last minute replacement. Aranburu returned from suspension to displace top scorer Oscar De Paula. Luis has been rotating players to such an extent that they are getting dizzy, although this time he limited the changes to two, with Spanish first choice centre forward Urzaiz not even in the squad. Clemente's defensive problems got even worse when Corino injured himself as well, and Fuentes came on as early as the twentieth minute to replace him. Eleven minutes before the break Alberto made a spectacular save from Ezquerro, and the visitors went ahead from the resulting corner, Carlos García heading down and the ball hitting Pikabea on the leg before slowly crossing the line. A minute later the scores were level, with Spain's left back Aranzábal, now playing on the left of midfield, picked up a loose ball in the area and rounded a defender before scoring as if he had been doing it all his life. Clemente brought on De Paula at half time for Rekarte, and that was the turning point of the match, the local born forward scoring twice, although the first of them looked suspiciously like he controlled Khokhlov's long pass with his arm before beating Lafuente. Khokhlov was also a key figure in the second half, and he scored the best goal of the game after Lafuente was forced to come out of his area to head clear. The Russian midfielder didn't think twice, and his first time volley from 30 metres flew back over the stranded keeper and in to the net. A few minutes after the third goal referee Daudén Ibáñez sent off Bilbao's defender Larrazábal for a second bookable offence, a rather harsh decision given that there were worse tackles on the night. Alberto kept out efforts from Ezquerro and substitute Imaz, but De Paula added the fourth from De Pedro's corner to seal the match. Real Sociedad move above their rivals, and Clemente looks very much like achieving his initial goal which was to save the team from relegation. Luis has to be careful now as he team slides down the table, but then what does he care? That will probably be Txetxu Rojo's problem next season, if he accepts the offer he has apparently received. Luckily the fans were above their managers' little altercations, and both sets of supporters mingled freely in a friendly atmosphere.