Betis 1 - Tenerife 0

Betis: Prats; Cañas, Filipescu, Rivas, Luis Fernández; Ito (Gudjonsson 70'), Benjamín; Joaquín, Capi, Denilson; Joao Tomas (Amato 35'). 4-2-3-1.
Tenerife: Sergio Aragoneses; Javi Venta, Pablo Paz, Lussenhoff, Basavilbaso; Slovak (Antonio Hidalgo 50'), Martí, Iván Ania (Fuertes 75'); Hugo Morales (Bermudo 67'); Xisco, Bruno Marioni. 4-3-1-2.

Team changes: Betis: Filipescu for Belenguer / Tenerife: No change.

Goals:
1-0. 56. Joaquín. First time volley following long pass from Denilson on left wing.

Betis moved up to second place, just behind Alavés on goal average, with a narrow 1-0 victory against Tenerife. It was a bad tempered affair right from the start, with the Canary Island side refusing to send anyone to sit with Betis president Manuel Ruiz de Lopera in the directors' box after falling out last season more than once when both sides were in the second division. First of all Betis had unsuccessfully Tenerife for fielding a side containing Barata, who was subsequently suspended under the false passport scandal, trying unsuccessfully to get a result overturned. And then the islanders' striker Pier took Lopera to court (and won) over the non-payment of a buy out clause when he moved from Sporting to Betis.

The bad feeling spilled out onto the pitch, and the visitors ended the game with eight men on the park, with two sent off (Basavilbaso and Marioni) and substitute Fuertes carried off on a stretcher near the end with all three changes made. Playing on the Sunday, a four goal victory would have taken Betis top of the table above Alavés on goal average. However in the end they settled for one, scored by Spanish under-21 international Joaquín in spectacular fashion after a long pass from Denilson. Betis manager Juande Ramos upset his Portuguese striker Joao Tomas, pulling him off with eight minutes to go in the first half after he had hit the post, had a penalty claim turned down and gone close on two or three more occasions. In the end though his decision was vindicated, and the victory keeps them rolling high and sends their opponents down to within a place of the relegation spots.