Osasuna 1 - Real Sociedad 1

Osasuna: Unzué; Cruchaga, Contreras, Josetxo; Yanguas, Puñal, Fernando; Alfredo, Iván Rosado (Sabino 65'), Gancedo; Aloisi (Armentano 83'). 3-3-3-1.
Real Sociedad: Westerveld; Tayfun, Kvarme, Luiz Alberto, : López Rekarte; Jauregui, Aranburu (Khokhlov 65'); Nihat (Pikabea 86'), Idiakez, De Pedro; Kovacevic (De Paula 55'). 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Osasuna: Josetxo, Iván Rosado, Gancedo for Jusué, Izquierdo, Sabino / Real Sociedad: López Rekarte, Jauregui for Aranzábal, Xabi Alonso.

Goals:
1-0. 51. Fernando. Following up after Aloisi shot blocked at close range.
1-1. 71. Luiz Alberto. Bundled ball into net with his hand after De Pedro corner.

Real Sociedad inched a little further from the bottom spots, climbing a place to sixteenth after drawing against local neighbours Osasuna. As always it was a friendly affair, with the two sets of fans organising parties before the match, and the red and blue shirts mixing freely later on in the crowd. Both sides had done each other favours in the past, the last time being the away victory by the Pamplona based side at Anoeta in the last game of last season, a result which kept Miguel Angel Lotina's team in the first division. This year both sides needed the points, and although a point apiece was not ideal, both benefited to keep up their push for survival. The game was not without controversy however, especially over Real's equalising goal which Luiz Alberto knocked in to the net with his upraised hand following De Pedro's corner. The Osasuna players protested strongly, but neither Ansuategui Roca nor his linesmen had seen the incident and the referee allowed the goal to stand.

Fernando had given the home side the lead early in the second half, scrambling the ball home after Aloisi's shot had been blocked. Before that the game had been soporific, with only a couple of scoring opportunities to distract the interest of the spectators from their celebrations. An aggressive Westerveld made a couple of good saves, in particular from Alfredo in the first half, and the on-form De Pedro set up Nihat only for him to shoot weakly at Unzué. Real were missing the suspended Xabi Alonso and Aranzábal, and their absence was probably the reason for their lack of ideas. As always Toshack brought on his supersub De Paula in the second half, but he failed to take his chance near the end after Khokhlov put him through. A point was enough though to keep them just ahead of Mallorca and Las Palmas on goal average, and they stay four points behind Osasuna who are thirteenth. The San Sebastian side have gone four games now without defeat, and for the third year in a row it looks like they will escape relegation in the latter part of the season.