Espanyol 1 - Real Sociedad 1

Espanyol: Lemmens; Marc Bertrán, Jarque, Lopo, Wome; Domoraud, Bastia; Tayfun (Alex Fernández 70'), Maxi (Héctor 91'), Jordi Cruyff (Morales 78'); Tamudo. 4-2-3-1.
Real Sociedad: Westerveld; Kvarme, Jauregi, Schürrer, López Rekarte; Xabi Alonso, Aranburu; Karpin, Lee Chun Soo (De Paula 88'), De Pedro (Gabilondo 78'); Kovacevic. 4-2-3-1.

Goals:
1-0. 22. Wome. Free kick from right of goal which deflected in off López Rekarte.
1-1. 67. Kovacevic. Ran ball into net after Lee Chun Soo lobbed Lemmens.

Espanyol and Real Sociedad shared the points in a match which neither really wanted to lose. There were new faces in both teams, Lemmens, Wome, Tayfun and Jordi Cruyff for the locals (with father Johan in the crowd), and Lee Chun Soo replacing the injured Nihat for the visitors. The Korean forward, the first from his country to play in Spain, attracted a lot of interest and he was cheered on by a group of fellow supporters all dressed in Real's red away strip.

It was Espanyol who struck first though, Wome opening his account with a free kick from the right which took a wicked deflection off López Rekarte's knee. Lee shot just wide from Karpin's cross in reply, but Westerveld had to fling himself across the area to stop Maxi from scoring a few minutes later.

Real came out strongly in the second half though, spurred on by Xavi Alonso and Javier De Pedro, and midway through the half they got a deserved equaliser when Lee ran on to a through ball and chipped the advancing keeper. The new man turned away and took off his shirt thinking he had scored (he got a yellow card for that), but with Marc Bertrán racing in to try to clear, Kovacevic beat him to it and forced the ball over the line.

For a while the Basque side kept up the pressure after the goal, and Lee had another shot saved by Lemmens. Maxi shot wide at the other end, but eventually both sides decided a point was not a bad start, and the game fizzled to an end.