Racing Santander 2 - Alavés 1

Racing: Ceballos; Tais, Txema, Mellberg, Sietes; Manjarín, Espina (Ismael 75'), Jaime (Vivar Dorado 70'), Amavisca; Bestchastnykh, Rushfeldt (Preciado 60'). 4-4-2.
Alavés: Herrera; Contra, Karmona, Téllez, Geli; Astudillo, Desio, Pablo (Eggen 77'), Ibon Begoña; Iván Alonso (Magno 60'), Javi Moreno. 4-4-2.

Team changes: Racing: Bestchastnykh for Arzeno / Alavés: Téllez, Pablo, Iván Alonso for Eggen, Tomic, Jordi Cruyff.

Goals:
0-1. 69. Javi Moreno. Ran on to long ball from Ibon Begoña and shot past keeper.
1-1. 80. Tais. Ran ball into net after Preciado touched on Ismael's pass.
2-1. 89. Amavisca. Cut in from left, beat two men and drove ball into corner.

A last minute goal by veteran midfielder Amavisca gave Racing Santander's new manager Gregorio Manzano a victory on his first match in charge. Manzano replaced Andoni Goikoetxea who was fired last week after a string of bad results had taken his team down to next to bottom in the league. With only a couple of days to get to know his players, the new man stuck largely to the last team that Goiko put out, although he changed the formation to a 4-4-2, bringing in an extra forward Bestchastnykh for defender Arzeno. Alavés are still getting used to the frenetic pace of playing in Europe, and they were concerned coming in to this match having had their worst results this season the weekend after their UEFA cup ties. Mané did rest key players such as Javi Moreno and Karmona for much of their match against Rosenborg in Norway on Thursday night, but the long trip was still expected to take it's toll. On top of that, the Vitoria side were missing two of their first choice stars, Tomic and Jordi Cruyff having picked up their fifth yellow cards the week before, and Mané brought in on-form Iván Alonso in a more attacking line up.

Alavés were in control for much of the first half, with Javi Moreno shooting just wide in their best chance of the first half. Manzano brought his players forward after the break and they started to get a grip, with Bestchastnykh heading weakly into the hands of Herrera when he could have done better. But the visitors took the lead against the run of play when a long clearance from Herrera fell to Javi Moreno, and the league's top scorer only had to place the ball past Ceballos for his tenth of the season. Manzano brought on Vivar Dorado and he tested Herrera for the first time with a dipping shot which the keeper touched over. Mané went back to a five man defence, bringing on Dan Eggen, but Washington Tais finally got the goal Racing deserved, running the ball into the net after two substitutes Ismael and Preciado combined to put him through.

And then Amavisca reminded us of what he used to do so well during his time at Real Madrid, running through the Alavés defence like a knife through butter before beating Herrera with a bending shot which Herrera should probably have got a hand to. That was in the last minute of normal time, but there was still time for Alavés to get in a couple of shots, with Ceballos saving a Desio free kick and Javi Moreno seeing his shot cleared off the line. Whether by luck or judgement Manzano had his first three points in the bag, and after the match he told the press that he thought they didn't have the second worst squad in the league and that they had the quality to go clear of the relegation zone. Right now they are out of it in seventeenth place, but there is still a long way to go. Alavés are paying the price for their successful European campaign, and they drop out of the UEFA spots down to seventh, still only eight points ahead of their opponents. Once again it promises to be a close league this year.