Deportivo 4 - Villarreal 2

Deportivo: Molina; Manuel Pablo, César, Naybet, Capdevila; Emerson, Duscher; Víctor (Scaloni 73'), Djalminha (Valerón 77'), Fran; Diego Tristán (Makaay 86'). 4-2-3-1.
Villarreal: López Vallejo; Xavi Roca, Quique Medina, Berruet (Tasevski 48'), Arruabarrena; Jorge López (Calleja 88'), Amor, Javier Gracia, Cagna; Víctor, Palermo. 4-4-2.

Team changes: Depor: Molina, César, Duscher, Djalminha, Fran for Songo'o, Donato, Helder, Romero, Pandiani / Villarreal: Quique Medina for Quique Alvarez.

Goals:
1-0. 19. Djalminha. Controlled and beat keeper after cross from Fran on left wing.
2-0. 41. Diego Tristán. Shot from edge of area after deep pass from Djalminha.
2-1. 67. Víctor (penalty). After Molina brought down Víctor himself going for goal.
3-1. 85. Diego Tristán. Pounced on loose ball to round keeper and roll ball into net.
4-1. 91. Makaay. Picked up through ball from Valerón and ran on to chip keeper.
4-2. 93. Gracia. Headed past Molina after free kick from Víctor on left of area.

Deportivo La Coruña equalled their best ever home run after going 24 league games without defeat, a record which was set back in 1955. With an important Champions League game midweek, Irureta changed his team around once more, leaving out players who had only just returned from international duty to give a chance to others, such as Duscher who was starting for the first time this season, and César, who had complained earlier about the lack of opportunities he was getting under the current manager. Complaints too up front, where he once again opted to use Diego Tristán for the home game reserving Makaay for the Leeds match, both players criticising the rotation system in force.

They were up against the second best away side in the league Villarreal, who came in to this game with a changed defence after Unai was ruled out to the end of the season with an injury and Quique Alvarez was suspended. Víctor Muñoz's team came out strongly from the start, with Víctor and Jorge López both putting Molina to the test early on. However logic prevailed with almost 20 minutes gone when Djalminha finished off a move which he himself started, controlling Fran's pass from the left to beat López Vallejo. With Brazilian manager Emerson Leao in the stands watching him and his own namesake Emerson it was a good time to shine, and Djalma added to his credentials near half time when his pass found Diego Tristán for him to score the second.

Missing his midfield generals Donato and Mauro Silva, Irureta decided to play it safe and defend the result. It was a mistake, as the yellow submarine came out of hiding and started to fire torpedoes at Molina's goal. Then with just over an hour gone Víctor got free in front of the Spanish international keeper, who brought him down inside the penalty area. Incredibly referee Bueno Grimal (who we understand has never sent anyone off at home) only awarded a yellow card to Molina, and although Víctor converted the penalty himself, Depor at least kept their team intact. Irureta rested tired legs, bringing on Scaloni and Valerón, and with six minutes to go Diego Tristán put local fans out of their misery with an opportunist goal, his eighth in the last four home games.

On came Makaay for the last few minutes, and he too got in to the act, taking a through ball from Valerón to place the ball over the keeper. Then in the last minute of injury time Javier Gracia headed a second for his side from Víctor's free kick to leave the final result at 4-2. Deportivo stay second, keeping in touch with Real Madrid still five points above them, and open up a six point gap on followers Valencia and Barcelona. Their opponents are still sixth, but are now only a point above on-form Celta, and with games against Real Madrid and Barcelona to come they could drop out of the UEFA spots if they don't get points in those games. Still, at the start of the season they would surely have accepted being in this position at this stage in the competition.