Second division - day 6

Only three games on Sunday, with the most interesting fixture the top of the table clash between two newly promoted teams, Burgos and Xerez. In the end Burgos ran out 3-1 winners to move above Atlético at the top of the table. Cuyami opened the scoring for the home side but Mena made it all square for Bernd Schuster's team a few minutes later. However Burgos imposed their authority in the second half with goals by Isailovic and Tcherychev, his first since signing from Sporting a couple of weeks ago.

Oviedo moved into the top three level with Atlético on points after defeating Racing Ferrol 0-2. Both goals came from Jaime in the first ten minutes of the second half to give the Gallician side their first defeat of the season. They drop to ninth, but do have a game in hand after their match with Nástic was abandoned last week. The competitions committee agreed that the remaining 70 minutes of that game will be played on 14th November.

Levante and Poli Ejido played out the fourth goal-less draw of a weekend which only produced thirteen goals in eleven games. The match was influenced by the referee who left Levante with ten men when he sent off Josemi before half time, and then awarded a penalty to the visitors for a foul by keeper Veiga on Trzeciak in the second half. However Veiga made up for his mistake saving Guede's spot kick. The result leaves Racing Santander down in the promotion spots on goal average. Mexican international Gerardo Torrado finally got his transfer papers through and made his debut for Poli Ejido. (30.09.01)

With a full programme of first and second division matches coming up in midweek, eight matches were brought forward to Saturday. It was a remarkably low scoring day, even for the Spanish second division, with only seven goals scored between the 16 teams. Three matches ended 0-0, including the game between Salamanca and Atlético Madrid which kept the side from the capital top of the pile pending Sunday's game between Burgos and Xerez. The league's most boring team Eibar produced yet another scoreless draw against Extremadura, and Racing Santander once again failed to impress with a similar scoreline at Jaén.

Three teams won their first games of the season, two of them winning away by a single goal. Murcia got their first victory at Recreativo Huelva thanks to a goal by Pepe Aguilar, and Elche defeated a ten man Sporting Gijon at the Molinon stadium with a second half penalty by Nino. The game between Leganés and Gimnastic Tarragona was high scoring in comparison, the Madrid based side running out 2-1 winners against the Catalans. Iván Pérez came in to the side for his first start, but the man who gave up the number nine shirt to the new signing from Depor, Arnal, scored twice for Leganés in the first half. Méndez replied with a fluke goal for Nástic in the second half.

Numancia held on against fellow promotion candidates Albacete for a much needed win. The game ended 1-0, with Pacheta scoring the only goal of the game halfway through the first half. Córdoba also won by a single goal to move away from the bottom spots, defeating Badajoz 0-1. The Extremadura based side drop further into the relegation zone, and have only picked up two points from their six games. (29.09.01)