Second division day 34

Sevilla and Betis shared the points in a top of the table clash between the city rivals. A Sevilla side missing their two Uruguayan strikers Olivera and Zalayeta, (both on international duty) went in to the lead with a Tevenet header on the half hour mark. The goal set off an avalanche in the crowd as supporters celebrated, with several people having to be taken to hospital. Betis levelled the scores through Casas just after the interval after good work by under 21 international Joaquín, and the game ended 1-1. Leaving Sevilla top of the table with 63 points and Betis back in third place, a point behind Tenerife on 59.

Tenerife beat Canary Island rivals Universidad Las Palmas 2-0 on Saturday night to take them up to that second place. Both goals came in the last five minutes through a Pier header and a strike by Luis García in injury time. Universidad had been reduced to ten men a few minutes earlier when Cañizares got himself sent off for a second bookable offence.

Atlético Madrid lost ground on the top three after losing 2-1 to Eibar. Atleti were disappointing in the first half, going in two down at the break to goals by Leniz and Arenaza, and they only started to play in the last quarter of the match. Salva got his eighteenth of the season to celebrate his recall to the Spanish national side, but it was too late and they drop to fifth, four points now off the relegation spots. Recreativo Huelva moved above them to fourth place with a good 0-2 win away at Albacete. A goal in the 23rd minute of each half by Oscar and then Soto gave them the three points and left their opponents down in sixth place.

The promotion spots must now be between the top six, with a four point gap to seventh placed Sporting Gijon who were beaten 1-2 by Levante. Manel's goal was soon cancelled out by Descarga after the break, and Roa headed the winner for the Valencia based side later in the second half. Levante move a point behind their rivals, level with Salamanca who could only draw 1-1 at home to Racing Ferrol. Both goals came early on, with Quique Martín equalising Nogueira's early strike, and Toedtli missed a penalty before the break for the home side. Things got worse in the second half when Cristian Díaz was sent off, and Salamanca have now taken only four points from the last eight games.

Racing drop a place to eighteenth, still only two points above the four relegation spots. Compostela go above them after coming from behind to defeat bottom club Lleida 1-2, who are virtually relegated being thirteen points now away from safety. Oscar Alvarez gave the Catalan side hope of a first home victory in four months, but a goal either side of half time by Jacobo and Bellido ended their resistance. The two teams immediately behind Racing, Elche and Getafe, drew 1-1, with Dennis Serban opening the scoring for the visitors and Faizulín replying for the home side before half time.

Two matches ended 0-0, one of which inevitably involved Badajoz, who have now drawn 18 times in 34 games. This time they put up the shutters at Murcia, who drop to fifteenth. Badajoz are thirteenth, level with Jaén who drew 0-0 at Leganés. Extremadura rise above them all with a narrow 1-0 victory over Córdoba. Ismael got the only goal of the game twenty minutes in to the second half when the visitors' keeper Leiva went walk about. (22.04.01)