Real Sociedad 3 - Oviedo 0

Real Sociedad: Alberto; Fuentes, Loren, Luiz Alberto (Julio César 30'), Aranzábal; Xavi Alonso, Idiakez (López Rekarte 75'); Tayfun; Khokhlov, De Pedro (Gabilondo 85'); Jankauskas. 4-2-3-1.
Oviedo: Esteban; Joyce Moreno, Gaspar, Martinovic (Paunovic 70'), Rabarivony (Ivo 75'); Amieva, Onopko, Tomic, Iván Ania; Geni (Juanchi González 63'), Oli. 4-4-2.

Team changes: Real: Aranzábal for López Rekarte / Oviedo: Joyce Moreno, Martinovic, Tomic, Geni for Danjou, Boris, Jaime, Paunovic.

Goals:
1-0. 54. Jankauskas. From close up after low cross from Xavi Alonso.
2-0. 59. Tayfun. On far post after Aranzábal centred from left goal line.
3-0. 80. Jankauskas. Turned and shot across Esteban after Khokhlov pass.

Real Sociedad moved out of the bottom three for the first time in almost six months after a comfortable victory over fellow strugglers Oviedo. The Anoeta stadium was packed, with the club providing 30,000 balloons and 3,000 toilet rolls (just in case the game got too exciting we suppose), and the teams came out to a ticker-tape reception. John Toshack decided to stick to the eleven which ended the previous game at Mallorca, with Aranzábal replacing López Rekarte, whereas Radomir Antic was forced to change his defence, with Danjou and Boris suspended and Keita left out until he gets his French passport sorted out. The introduction of Martinovic meant that there was no room for Paunovic, with Tomic and Onopko occupying the other non-EU spots, and Geni came back up front, with Joyce Moreno getting a first start at right back.

Oviedo have been going through a mini-revival recently, recording their first away win and remaining unbeaten for three games, and they were looking to build on that the move away from the relegation spots. However they showed virtually no sign of life as the San Sebastian side bore down on their goal, with Javier De Pedro causing havoc down the wings. Loren went close to scoring in the second minute from one of his corners, and Esteban saved well from Jankauskas after he connected with a cross from the right. Early in the second half the Lithuanian striker finally broke through from close range after Xavi Alonso laid the ball across from the right, his first goal in eight games. Four minutes later Tayfun made it two with his first for the club and Real were cruising.

Oviedo's only reply was a shot from Tomic which hit the post, only their second attempt at goal in the whole game, but Jankauskas wrapped it up with his second of the night near the end. In the last minute referee López Nieto rounded off a bad night for the Asturians sending off Gaspar for a second bookable offence. They are now only three points above their opponents, who move up to seventeenth, a point above Osasuna and two ahead of Racing and Numancia. Next week Oviedo visit Valladolid, who are level with them on points, and a defeat there will mean that they are right down with the bottom four. It's going to be a long two months for Radomir Antic.