Alavés 0 - Numancia 2

Alavés: Herrera; Contra, Karmona, Téllez, Geli; Astudillo, Desio, Jordi Cruyff (Tomic 63'), Pablo; Magno (Iván Alonso 46'), Javi Moreno. 4-4-2.
Numancia: Alvaro Nuñez; Iñaki, Soria, Antía, Octavio; Marini; José Manuel, Nagore (Muñiz 70'), Caco Morán (David Pirri 83'), Pacheta; Rubén Navarro (Ojeda 65'). 4-1-4-1.

Team changes: Alavés: Desio for Tomic / Numancia: Soria, Antía, Octavio, Nagore, Pacheta, Rubén Navarro for Jaume, Muñiz, Gustavo, Clavero, Barbu, Ojeda.

Goals:
0-1. 21. Caco Morán. Headed in cross from José Manuel.
0-2. 85. Pacheta. Header on far post after cross from Ojeda.

Alavés fell to their fourth defeat in a row to drop out of the top half of the table for the first time for several weeks. Having lost their last three to Barcelona, Real Madrid and Mallorca they were looking for an easy victory here, but were surprised by a transformed Numancia side which contained six changes in their starting line up. García Remón had decided to make changes after dropping back into the bottom three, bringing in Antia, his new signing from Real Sociedad, with Marini playing a free role in front of the defence and Rubén Navarro returning up front for the first time since injuring himself playing for Catalunya just before Christmas. Mané kept faith with his usual block of players, with Desio returning from a one match ban surprisingly replacing Tomic, with Pablo keeping his place. Mané started with a 4-4-2 line up, with Magno playing alongside Javi Moreno up front, although the Brazilian fell out to the left wing as the first half went on.

Numancia took a leaf out of Alavés's own manual, using a formula which the Vitoria side appear to have abandoned this year, packing their own half with players and looking for the counter-attack. The Alavés attacks were broken down time and again, and after Geli had set up Javi Moreno, the play quickly switched to the other end. José Manuel taking the ball out wide on the right before swinging a ball over for the unmarked Caco Morán to head down past Herrera into the bottom corner of the net. Rubén Navarro tested Herrera again before Astudillo finally got a header on target for the home side, Nuñez having no problem catching the ball high up. At half time Mané brought on Iván Alonso for a disappointing Magno, but the pattern stayed the same, with Numancia if anything bringing more men back to defend their lead.

Javi Moreno went close with a free kick from the edge of the area, and Cruyff failed to control the ball when set up in front of goal. A few minutes later Téllez sent a header into the hands of Nuñez, and referee Llonch Andreu waved away the home side's claims for a penalty when Soria apparently handled in the area. Tomic (being watched by his old club Roma) came on for Cruyff and Ojeda replaced a tired Rubén Navarro, and a few minutes later García Remón added a sixth defender, Muñiz. But Alavés were leaving spaces at the back, and after Pacheta and Morán both went close on counter-attacks, Pacheta finished things off with a header from Ojeda's cross which went through Herrera's legs. Alavés were finished and Numancia climb out of the relegation spots, two points ahead of Osasuna and now only one behind Celta.