Oviedo 1 - Racing Santander 0

Oviedo: Esteban; Keita, Danjou, Martinovic, Boris; Amieva, Onopko, Tomic (Jaime 70'), Iván Ania (Rubén Reyes 68'); Losada (Bango 81'), Oli. 4-4-2.
Racing: Ceballos; Tais, Arzeno, Mellberg, Sietes; Espina (Ismael 68'), Jaime (Bestchastnykh 68'); Manjarín, Vivar Dorado, Amavisca (Morán 79'); Rushfeldt. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Oviedo: Keita for Pablo Suárez / Racing: Arzeno, Vivar Dorado for Txema, Bestchastnykh.

Goals:
1-0. 34. Tomic. Strong volley which Ceballos caught and carried over his own line.

Oviedo's remarkable season continues, and they completed their seventh home win in a row to confirm their record as the best team of the year at home but the worst of the league away. They now have 23 points this season, of which 22 have come in their Nuevo Tartiere stadium, and even the revitalised Racing Santander team could do nothing to change their fate. Radomir Antic had his first choice squad together again, with Boris declared fit and Keita returning from a one match suspension, the fifth time this season that the same eleven names have appeared on the team sheet.

Racing's new manager Gregorio Manzano is finally getting a clear picture of the side he wants, and he brought Vivar Dorado back in after a good performance as substitute last week. However his new signing, Argentina's Javier Mazzoni, was not available as his transfer papers had not arrived in time, and Rushfeldt kept his place up front. The match was very open, with both sides using the wings to their best advantage. Ceballos saved twice from Losada, and Manjarín was Racing's most dangerous forward at the other end. Ten minutes before half time Tomic got what was to be the only goal of the match, hitting a powerful shot which Ceballos got behind low on the ground, but the force of the ball carried him just over the goal line. The Racing players were livid, but television pictures after the match showed that referee Pérez Lasa was right and that the ball had fully crossed the line.

Oviedo could have extended their lead in the second half, but Ceballos made up for his mistake with two saves from Losada and then a Danjou header. In the dying moments Esteban got in the way of an effort from Racing's substitute Bestchastnykh to end the resistance of the Cantabrians. Oviedo's Bango came on for the last few minutes, his last game for the side before going to play in Mexico, and after the final whistle the jubilant players chaired him off the pitch in triumph. Their team is up in eighth in the league, and despite their away record, they are having one of their best seasons so far. Racing drop down to the relegation zone again after Manzano's first victory last week, but they are looking better and hope to strengthen their team in the winter break. The league is not halfway through yet, and they have time to turn things around. The first bricks have been laid.