Alavés 1 - Tenerife 0

Alavés: Kike; Geli, Coloccini, Karmona, Llorens; Turiel, Pablo; Astudillo, Vucko (Witschge 65'), Magno (Mara 28'); Rubén Navarro (Iván Alonso 75'). 4-2-3-1.
Tenerife: Sergio Aragoneses; Manel, David Charcos, Lussenhoff, Bermudo; Jordi (Acorán 72'), Martí, Bino (Jaime 65'), Iván Ania (Javi López 85'); Bicho Fuertes, Bruno Marioni. 4-4-2.

Team changes: Alavés: Kike, Turiel, Vucko, Rubén Navarro for Herrera, Jordi Cruyff, Ibon Begoña, Iván Alonso / Tenerife: No change.

Goals:
1-0. 11. Magno. Headed back into net after Aragoneses blocked Llorens shot.

After two home defeats in a row, Alavés went back to basics to win as only they know how, with a single goal in a display of well organised and at times aggressive defensive football. After their victory at Bilbao the week before Pepe Mel named an unchanged attacking side, and in the first few minutes it looked as if it would pay off as the home team looked uncomfortable at first. However in the eleventh minute Llorens fired in a shot from the left of goal, and Magno was on hand to head in the rebound after Aragoneses could only parry the full back's effort. Unfortunately the diminutive Brazilian forward injured himself soon afterwards and had to be replaced by Mara. After Magno's goal the Vitorians got back their confidence though, with Rubén Navarro back in the starting line up after last week's disciplinary action bringing good saves out of the Tenerife keeper before the half time whistle.

The Canary Islanders came out well straight from the restart though, and Kike celebrated his return to the side with confident saves from Fuertes and Marioni. The game swung from end to end after that but both keepers were in control, Aragoneses in particular stopping two efforts in a minute from Turiel. Eventually though both sides ran out of steam, and a relieved Alavés took the three points to move back up to fifth with a game in hand on all the other contenders for the European places. Defeats for Mallorca and Real Sociedad mean that Tenerife stay clear of the relegation spots, although they are still only a point ahead of their rivals in seventeenth place.