Second division - day 11

Sporting Gijon dealt their Asturian neighbours Oviedo their first defeat of the season with a 0-2 victory in the Nuevo Tartiere stadium. Lozano gave the visitors the lead in the tenth minute, ending Esteban's run of almost seven games without letting in a goal, and Villa added a second on the hour mark. Sporting's keeper Valencia saved a controversial Geni penalty late in the first half in a match in which three players were sent off, Onopko for the home side and Dorado and Juan for the visitors. With the teams below them failing to win, Oviedo stay third, with Sporting rising up to the top half of the table.

Salamanca failed to take advantage of Oviedo's slip up, losing 2-0 to Racing Santander. Cristian Díaz turned Regueiro's cross past his own keeper on the half hour mark, and although Racing were reduced to ten men just after half time when Neru picked up a second yellow card, Ismael converted a last minute penalty after Morán was fouled to give the Cantabrian side a much needed victory. Their technical director and acting manager Quique Setién is expected to name his successor this week.

Hopefully he will do as well as Levante's new manager Pepe Balaguer, who started off his second spell at the club with a 0-1 victory over Burgos. The only goal of the game came from Setvalls in the first half, and although Levante stay in the relegation zone, they are now only a point away from safety. Burgos ended the game with ten men after Isailovic was sent off at the end for a second yellow card, and they drop down to seventh having not won a game in six weeks.

Recreativo Huelva slipped past Salamanca, Ferrol and Burgos to fourth place after a comfortable 0-3 win at Extremadura. All three goals came in the first half, with Raúl Molina getting his sixth of the season and then Oscar Arias and Galán adding two more. Extremadura drop to within a point of the relegation zone, and manager Josu Ortuondo is now under pressure to get a result next week.

Extremadura are now level with Leganés, who lost their relegation battle at Jaén by 1-0. The only goal came from Sierra just before half time, giving the Andalucian side their first victory at home since the beginning of September. They had to hang on in the end though after Milosevic got his marching orders for a second caution after the interval.

Murcia also recorded a much needed win, also by 1-0 against Córdoba. The only goal came from their new signing from Zaragoza, Peternac, his first since joining the East coast side. Both teams are on 14 points in a group of nine teams separated by a single point.

The two bottom clubs Gimnastic Tarragona and Badajoz played out a 1-1 draw to leave further adrift from the rest. Deus opened the scoring for the locals soon after half time, but David Bauzá beat the offside trap to level the scores a few minutes later. Nástic at least move ahead of Poli Ejido on goal average, and still have a game in hand. (28.10.01)

Atlético Madrid kept their lead at the top with a 3-2 victory over Albacete. The Madrid side were always in the lead, with goals by Aguilera, Dani and Correa, although Toril levelled scores at one apiece and Basti gave the home fans a fright with a goal in the last minute.

Bernd Schuster's Xerez went second pending Oviedo's derby with Sporting on Sunday with a 2-0 victory over Elche. Numancia won an exciting match at Poli Ejido 3-4, and Eibar beat Racing Ferrol 2-0, the Gallicians first away defeat of the season. (27.10.01)