Racing Santander 2 - Mallorca 1

Racing: Ceballos; Mellberg, Ramis, Arzeno, Juanma; Julio Alvarez (Manjarín 80'), Colsa (Espina 75'), Ismael, Amavisca; Regueiro (Magallanes 88'), Mazzoni. 4-4-2.
Mallorca: Leo Franco; Olaizola, Fernando Niño, Nadal, Miguel Soler; Finidi (Novo 64'), Engonga, Marcos, Carreras (Riera 70'); Luque, Carlos (Biagini 55'). 4-4-2.

Team changes: Racing: None. / Mallorca: Marcos for Novo.

Goals:
1-0. 18. Mazzoni. Took loose ball, pushed out wide and shot into roof of net.
1-1. 41. Marcos. Following up after Ceballos blocked shot from Finidi.
2-1. 45. Colsa. Shot into top corner of net after Mazzoni won ball in area.

Racing Santander moved a little closer to safety with a good win over sixth placed Mallorca. An almost capacity crowd rallied behind Gregorio Manzano's unchanged side and urged them on to a victory that takes them to within a point of Real Sociedad and only three away from Numancia in seventeenth place. They were up against a Mallorca team weakened by the injury to Ibagaza and the absence of Cameroon's Eto'o, who was playing for his country, and Carlos kept his place in attack after a good performance last week. Marcos came back after his recent ban.

Luis Aragonés decided that defence was the best form of attack, and got his players to sit back and wait for Racing to come to them. And come they did, with Amavisca shooting over before putting a cross from the left which, after a series of rebounds fell to Mazzoni for him to find the top corner of the net. Racing should have increased the lead a couple of times, most notably when Leo Franco got a fingertip to Mazzoni's lob, but football is not always fair and Mallorca made it all square with their first attack of the game, Marcos finishing off after Ceballos blocked Finidi's shot five minutes from half time. But justice was restored just before the break, Colsa shooting past Leo Franco after Mazzoni battled to win the ball in the penalty area.

Aragonés brought on Biagini and then Novo for Carlos and Finidi early in the second half, but it did nothing to stem the tide, and if Regueiro had not selfishly shot at goal from difficult angles on three separate occasions with his colleagues standing alone in front of goal they could have gone further ahead. The Uruguayan striker stayed on the pitch despite twisting his knee early on, but he eventually went off and will not be available to play for his country next week. Both keepers made spectacular saves, Leo Franco tipping a cracker of a shot from Amavisca over the bar, and Ceballos getting a hand to a an effort from Carreras which looked to have levelled the scores. Luis's last effort was to throw on one of his youngsters Riera for his first game with the senior side, but without Ibagaza and Eto'o they were lacking the creative touch they needed. Mallorca still stay sixth, but with matches against the big three coming up they really needed a result here. They never looked like getting it.