Sevilla 0 - Celta 1

Sevilla: Notario; Njegus, Javi Navarro, Prieto (Toedtli 80'), David; Gallardo (Luis Gil 46'), Casquero, Francisco (Víctor Sales 60'), Fredi; Reyes, Moisés. 4-4-2.
Celta: Cavallero; Coira, Berizzo, Cáceres, Juanfran (Doriva 90'); Luccin, Vagner; Karpin, Edu (Silvinho 75'), Jesuli (Gustavo López 60'); Catanha. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Sevilla: Prieto, Fredi for Pablo Alfaro, Tomás / Celta: Coira, Berizzo, Karpin for Velasco, Yago, Mostovoi.

Goals:
0-1. 58. Catanha. Followed up after Notario saved his penalty kick.

Celta moved back in to the Champions League spots after their fifth game without defeat, a hard fought victory at Sevilla. It was an open match with many scoring chances, although the only goal of the game came after a penalty in the second half. Víctor Fernández was missing his star midfielder Mostovoi who was suffering from a recurrent ankle injury, but Berizzo and Karpin returned after one match bans and Kaviedes took a place on the bench, having been included in the squad in place of Boban when the transfer window opened last week. Joaquín Caparrós decided to leave Nico Olivera in the stands due to the recent form of Reyes, and the under-19 international demonstrated why both Real Madrid and Barcelona are chasing him with a confident performance in attack. The home side came closest to scoring early on, with Casquero hitting the bar and Cavallero saving a Moisés header, although the Gallicians recovered later in the half, Prieto and then Notario preventing Jesuli from opening the scoring shortly before the interval.

The turning point of the game came in the second half though when referee Ansuategui Roca awarded a penalty to the visitors for a foul by Javi Navarro on Catanha. The Hispano-Brazilian striker took the kick himself, and although Notario saved, the ball fell back to Catanha for him to tuck it away, celebrating his goal pulling out a father Christmas hat from his pocket and putting it on. Sevilla came back with Fredi and Moisés going close with free kicks and Reyes hitting the bar with a shot in the last minute. But Celta are masters of what is known in Spain as 'the other football', breaking the game up with fouls, substitutions and time wasting tactics when they are in front, and they were not going to let this one slip away. They did go over the top near the end though, substitute Silvinho picking up two yellow cards in a minute in injury time, the second for time wasting after blatantly walking away from a corner kick, leaving his side with ten men for the last couple of minutes. Celta end the year in third place, two points behind the leaders. Sevilla miss out on a good chance to close in on the top spots but stay in ninth place, well in line for their stated objective of staying in the top flight this year after gaining promotion last summer.