Celta Vigo 2 - Athletic Bilbao 1

Celta: Cavallero; Velasco, Cáceres, Berizzo, Sylvinho; Luccin, José Ignacio; Angel (McCarthy 60'), Mostovoi, Gustavo López (Giovanella 83'); Mido (Catanha 86'). 4-2-3-1.
Athletic: Aranzubia; Javi González, Aitor Ocio (Angulo 89'), Murillo, Luis Prieto, Del Horno; Joseba Etxeberría, Tiko (Julen Guerrero 80'), Oskar Vales, Arriaga; Ezquerro. 5-4-1.

Team changes: Celta: Luccin, Mido for Juanfran, Edu / Athletic: Murillo, Del Horno, Oskar Vales, Arriaga for Karanka, Larrazábal, Alkiza, Urzaiz.

Goals:
0-1. 07. Del Horno. Bent free kick from right of area into top corner of net.
1-1. 20. Mido. Controlled Cáceres pass and lifted ball over keeper in off post.
2-1. 78. McCarthy. Spectacular overhead kick from Velasco's centre.

Celta's new signing Mido came straight in to the side for the game against Athletic Bilbao and made his mark with an excellent performance, scoring the equalising goal midway through the first half and causing constant problems for Aranzubia in the visiting goal. The 20 year old Egyptian striker joined the Gallician side on loan after falling out with his manager Ronald Koeman, replacing the injured Méndez in the squad, and immediately displaced Catanha and McCarthy in the starting line up. The home side had fallen behind when Asier Del Horno bent a long free kick past Callero in the seventh minute, but Mido collected a long Cáceres pass which Aitor Ocio failed to cut out, and forced the ball over the keeper and in to the net off the post.

Celta could have gone further ahead when Luccin burst through the defence but was closed down, and Mido tested Aranzubia on two occasions before the break, the first with a looping header and then with an overhead kick. Athletic could have been down to ten men in the second half when referee Moreno Delgado showed a second yellow card to Luis Prieto, and he had actually pulled out the red before Arriaga managed to convince him that he himself had been the author of the foul and that Prieto was innocent. Oskar Vales went close with a volley and Ezquerro hit the bar with a chip from a wide angle, but Celta finally struck the winner, substitute McCarthy beating Aranzubia with a spectacular overhead kick. Then in the last minute Cavallero made a vital point blank save from Ezquerro, giving his side the three points and taking them to within three points of fourth placed Valencia.