Mallorca 4 - Betis 0

Mallorca: Leo Franco; Serrizuela, Olaizola, Engonga, Miguel Soler; Lauren, Chichi Soler (Robles 73'), Stankovic; Ibagaza (Romerito 85'); Diego Tristán, Eto'o. 4-3-1-2.
Betis: Prats; Otero, Crosa, Vidakovic (Denilson 22'), Rivas; Filipescu, Karhan, Benjamín, Cañas; Finidi, Alfonso. 4-4-2.

Team changes: Mallorca: Serrizuela, Engonga for Armando, Siviero / Betis: Filipescu, Karhan, Benjamín for Ito, Romero, Denilson.

Goals:
1-0. 05. Lauren. Finished off after Tristán's shot going wide.
2-0. 18. Tristán. Shot high into net after good work on left by Eto'o.
3-0. 20. Eto'o. Took high pass on left and went past defender before scoring.
4-0. 71. Eto'o. Took Stankovic's chipped pass from left and beat keeper.

The shameful behaviour of Sevilla's players (see report on their defeat to Oviedo below) seriously damaged the chances of Betis of staying in the first division next season. However, in the words of club president Ruiz de Lopera, "....they aren't going to go down to the second division just because Sevilla lost". His team took another small step for a man (or eleven), but a mighty great plummet for a football club when they lost by four goals to a Mallorca side who weren't even trying. Guus Hiddink took charge for his thirteenth match, and it was unlucky for him as Lopera decided once again that his patience was all used up (not that he has a lot), and decided to relieve the manager of his post the day after this match. Hiddink had tried everything to revive the fortunes of this ailing giant, and this time he decided to use power and aggression to get a result. Denilson was left on the bench as the more physical Benjamín supported Alfonso up front, with Vidakovic switching to an organiser role in the centre of midfield, and Filipescu dropping back to defence. Mallorca's early season injury worries returned, particularly in defence where Nadal, Niño and Siviero were missing and Armando was suspended. Manager Fernando Vázquez therefore brought back midfielder Engonga to fill the vacant spot in the heart of the back four, with Argentina's Serrizuela playing at right back. Camerooni international Samuel Eto'o kept his place up front with ex Betis striker Diego Tristán. Hiddink's experiment clearly didn't work, and within 20 minutes his team were disastrously three goals behind, with Eto'o once again repeating the type of form that he has been showing since moving to the island club on loan from Real Madrid mid-season. Kicking off an hour later than their neighbours Sevilla, Betis knew by that time that relegation rivals Oviedo were being gifted their game, and they had to do something quickly. On came Denilson for Vidakovic, and from that moment on the visitors dominated. This was not their night however, and they were to see their efforts frustrated by a magnificent Leo Franco and by the Mallorca woodwork (they must have magnetic trees in the Baleares Isles), with Benjamín hitting the post and the crossbar and Alfonso also hitting a post. Mallorca scored their fourth goal completely against the run of play some twenty minutes from the end after Stankovic set up Eto'o for his fifth in two months, and Vázquez finally relaxed, bringing on two youngsters, Robles (making his debut) and Romerito. Referee Pérez Burrull went through the match without giving a card, and afterwards was asked to appear on the front cover of the next edition of the Guiness Book of Records. With the four teams above them failing to win, Mallorca jump up the table to seventh. Betis meanwhile drop five points behind Oviedo and Numancia, and with a difficult calendar ahead of them, look pretty doomed. Lopera thought so too, and in the early morning after the game decided that Hiddink had to go. By the afternoon he had named his seventh manager in two years, ex Betis player and Bosnian coach Faruk Hadzibegic taking over on a trial basis for three matches, with an option of renewal for a year if he does well in those games. He will probably have to accept that that would be in the second division.

Remaining matches: Mallorca: Sevilla (A), Valladolid (A), Atlético (H)
Betis: Valladolid (A), Real Madrid (H), Numancia (A)

Real Sociedad 2- Málaga 2

Real Sociedad: Alberto; Fuentes, Gurrutxaga, Pikabea, López Rekarte (De Pedro 62'); Aranburu (Mutiu 75'), Khokhlov, Juan Gómez, Aranzábal; De Paula (Idiakez 76'), Jankauskas. 4-4-2.
Málaga: Contreras; Rojas (Sandro 46'), Larrainzar, Fernando Sanz, Valcarce (Musampa 77'); Rufete, Movilla, De los Santos, Ruano (Roteta 81'); Darío Silva, Catanha. 4-4-2.

Team changes: Real: Fuentes, Rekarte, Aranburu for Félix Guerrero, Jauregui, Sa Pinto / Málaga: Rufete, Ruano for Sandro, Agostinho.

Goals:
1-0. 19. Khokhlov. Header down past keeper after Aranzábal's free kick from left.
1-1. 51. Catanha. Headed over keeper following cross from Sandro.
2-1. 66. Pikabea. Bundled header into net after corner from right.
2-2. 79. Musampa. Curling free kick into corner of net from edge of area.

In an entertaining match, Real Sociedad and Málaga shared the points to leave the San Sebastian side a little bit closer to safety. They now occupy fifteenth spot, two points ahead of Oviedo and Numancia but more importantly now seven ahead of Betis with three games to go. Although they have a hard run in to the end of the season, they should have done enough to survive, and Javier Clemente can begin thinking about the squad he wants for next season (he inherited the group of players chosen by Bernd Krauss this year). For this match Clemente brought back Fuentes and Aranburu after injury, but was missing Potuguese international Sa Pinto after his silly sending off last week. Aranzábal played on the left of midfield, a position he has occupied on a number of occasions this season, with López Rekarte coming in at left back. Málaga boss Joaquín Peiró included Ruano and new Spanish international Rufete, both back from suspension, in an otherwise unchanged side, with Rojas passing a late fitness test before the game (although he only lasted to half time). In one of their best seasons ever, they are going for a new club record in the first division of 49 points, and are now only two away. Catanha has already broken the scoring record for the side in the top flight, and he asked his colleagues to help him get the Pichichi title this year. They got him part of the way in this match, his headed goal in the 51st minute being his 24th of the season, and he is now only two behind the league's top scorer Salva. Earlier Russian international Khoklov had scored his third goal since joining the club this winter, heading down past Conteras from Aranzábal's free kick on the left side of the penalty area. Clemente brought on unsettled midfielder Javier De Pedro on the hour mark, and Real took the lead three minutes later from his corner, Pikabea mis-timing his header but getting enough power behind it for the ball to enter the net. On came the rest of the substitutes as legs started to tire, with Mutiu and Idiakez entering fot the home side and Roteta and Musampa for the visitors. It proved to be a good substitution by Peiró, as Musampa stepped up to bend a free kick on the edge of the box over the defensive wall and wide of the keeper. It was the Dutch midfielder's second goal in as many games, and after being left out of the squad for most of the season, he is staking a late claim for a first team place. Málaga may need all the players they can get next season. There are more scouts at their matches these days than at a Baden-Powell reunion. They will do well to keep their squad together, and some, such as Rufete, Valcarce and Catanha, are rumoured to have signed with other clubs already. They probably won't be in Europe next year, unless they enter as the UEFA fair play candidate (they were close) or go in for the Inter-toto. But at least clubs will respect them next season after this year's campaign.

Remaining matches: Real: Valencia (A), Barcelona (H), Oviedo (A)
Málaga: Celta (H), Zaragoza (A), Racing (H)