Racing Santander 2 - Atlético Madrid 2

Racing: Dudu Aouate; Cristian Alvarez, Mora (Bodipo 46'), Pablo Casar, Juanma, Ayoze (Afek 67'); Morán (Jonathan 71'), Nafti, Benayoun, Regueiro; Javi Guerrero. 5-4-1.
Atlético: Juanma; Gaspar, Lequi, García Calvo, Sergi; De los Santos; Novo, Paunovic (Jorge 88'), Ibagaza (Santi 74'), Musampa (Aguilera 46'); Fernando Torres. 4-1-4-1.

Team changes: Racing: Morán for Diego Mateo / Atlético: De los Santos, Novo, Ibagaza, Musampa for Simeone, Aguilera, Jorge, Nano.

Goals:
0-1. 26. Ibagaza. Shot across keeper after Fernando Torres square pass.
1-1. 57. Cristian Alvarez. Curled free kick over defensive wall from left.
1-2. 59. De los Santos. Got above defence to head Ibagaza's free kick into net.
2-2. 90. Afek. Headed down past Juanma from Jonathan's high cross.

Atlético Madrid were close to an epic victory against Racing Santander after playing for almost an hour with ten men, but a last minute header from Afek saved a 2-2 draw for the Cantabrians. Both sides needed a win, the visitors to consolidate their position in the UEFA cup spots and the locals to avoid relegation, but it was Gregorio Manzano's team which started off the better, Aouate having to save from Fernando Torres shortly before Ibagaza put them ahead.

Atleti were reduced to ten men though on the half hour mark when Novo picked up two bookings in a minute, but they could have gone further ahead had referee Losantos Omar seen Juanma's kick on Torres in the penalty area. Racing had only troubled Atlético's Juanma a couple of times, Javi Guerrero testing him a couple of times near the break, and Alcaraz threw on Bodipo at half time to strengthen the attack.

The Cantabrians continued to push forward after the restart, and they got their reward when Cristian Alvarez crashed a free kick past Juanma. Two minutes later though De los Santos restored the lead when he got on the end of Ibagaza's free kick, and Aguilera could have made it three when he failed to beat Aouate a few minutes later. Seconds later though Juanma tipped an effort from Benayoun onto the bar, and Afek's follow up shot was cleared off the line by a defender.

Afek finally proved the saviour though in the last minute, the second match in a row that he has scored late on, and the Israeli forward could even have won the match when his shot brushed the post in injury time. In the end though a fair result which, although not what either wanted, does help both achieve their very different objectives. There was one note of sadness though, Atlético Madrid's ex president and major shareholder Jesús Gil being rushed to hospital with a brain haemorrage a few hours before kick off. Sometimes football is not everything.