Mallorca 2 - Real Sociedad 1

Mallorca: Leo Franco; Olaizola, Nadal, Niño, David; Serrizuela, Chichi Soler, Engonga, Carreras; Carlos, Diego Tristán. 4-4-2.
Real Sociedad: Alberto; Gurrutxaga, Fuentes, Loren, Aranzábal; López Rekarte, Gómez, Khokhlov, Aranburu; De Paula, Jankauskas. 4-4-2.

Team changes: Mallorca: Serrizuela, Carreras, Carlos for Siviero, Novo, Romerito / Real: Gurrutxaga, López Rekarte for Guerrero, Sa Pinto.

Goals:
1-0. 15. Carlos. Tristán's shot blocked by Alberto and Carlos nipped in to score.
2-0. 51. Armando. Substitute heads corner down past keeper.
2-1. 87. Aranburu. Strong low shot from outside area after Rekarte clears attack.

Mallorca's injury worries continued, and they were hit by 10 absences from their first team squad for this match with Real Sociedad. Even so, there was no place for keeper Mono Burgos, as Leo Franco kept on to his place in goal despite letting in three goals at Numancia last week. Serrizuela came in for the suspended Siviero, but they did get back Carreras (although he only lasted 27 minutes before being replaced by Armando) and Carlos, with Miguel Soler coming on late in the second half. Real Sociedad had other worries, and with relegation rivals Oviedo and Sevilla winning, they are looking more and more like candidates for the drop. Javier Clemente played a more attacking line up, with two forwards at the start, and Sa Pinto (for Aranzábal) and then Bonilla (for Loren) coming on in the second half when their team were already two goals behind. Real Sociedad are one of three teams who have not won away this season (the others are Oviedo and Sevilla), and they did not look like changing that as Mallorca finally convinced their fans that they can do something this season. Earlier in the week coach Fernando Vázquez complained that he was being unfairly criticised by the press, and the pressure should ease off as they move back up to the top half of the season. Real Sociedad travel again next weekend, to Vigo, and if they lose there then they could start to see their immediate rivals slip away.

Málaga 0 - Valladolid 0

Málaga: Contreras; Rojas, Bravo, Sanz, Valcarce; Rufete, De los Santos, Movilla, Agostinho; Edgar, Catanha. 4-4-2.
Valladolid: César; Torres Gómez, Heinze, García Calvo, Peña, Marcos; Rodrigo, Jiménez, Caminero; Víctor, Shoji Jo. 5-3-2.

Team changes: Málaga: Rufete for Larrainzar / Valladolid: Rodrigo for Lozano.

Goals: None.

It could have been a Real Madrid old boys reunion. No less than fifteen of the twenty seven players who eventually took to the park had played at some time in their career, with Valladolid goalkeeper César rumoured to have signed a pre-contract for next season. Maybe then they wanted to talk about old times, or out of respect for their old colleagues they didn't want to appear too pushy, but whatever it was, football was largely absent in this match. Málaga are still around the middle of the table thanks largely to good away form, but at home their record is poor, and for the fourth match in a row at the Rosaleda stadium they failed to score. Valladolid's manager Gregorio Manzano is proving to be a wily tactician, and he snuffed out Málaga's main threat Catanha with three big men in the centre of the defence. With the Brazilian striker (due to obtain Spanish nationality in the next few days and possibly on Camacho's short list for Spain's next friendly with Croatia) marked out of the game, Málaga were ineffective up front, and Peiró brought on Luque and Sandro halfway through the second half for Edgar and Agostinho in an attempt to add some variety to the attack. Manzano brought Rodrigo back in to his team after a one match suspension in place of Lozano, who was himself out for disciplinary reasons. However the Brazilian forward, who is making the most of his loan period away from Real Madrid, had to leave the pitch after 25 minutes with a torn muscle, to be replaced by Alberto. The player was clearly affected by the injury which could see him on the sidelines for several weeks, and on realising that he will miss the match against Madrid on 15th of this month he left the field in tears (seems to happen quite a bit in Spain). Valladolid's twin strike force, Shoji Jo and Víctor, did not show any of last week's form against Deportivo, and Jo was pulled off by Manzano on the hour mark, with Vizcaino coming on in his place. Five minutes from time Málaga s captain, Bravo, was sent off for a second bookable offence and he will miss next weekend's game with Real Madrid. Larrainzar, back from his suspension then, will probably take his place, which means that Fernando Sanz, son of Real Madrid president Lorenzo Sanz, will keep his spot in the defence and will be able to play against his old team. The shared points mean that Málaga and Valladolid are twelfth and fourteenth respectively, with the visitors slowly climbing to safety after only losing one in the last ten.