First Division - Day 6

Valladolid 1 - Osasuna 1

Valladolid: Ricardo; Torres Gómez, García Calvo, Peña, Heinze, Marcos; Fernando Sales (Caminero 46'), Eusebio (Antonio López 83'), Turiel; Ciric (Pachón 60'), Kaviedes. 5-3-2.
Osasuna: Nuno; Mateo, Vidakovic, Cruchaga; Alfonso, Angel, Sena (Iban Pérez 83'); Palacios, Alfredo (Angel Luis 50'); Sabino (Lekumberri 60'), Iván Rosado. 3-3-2-2.

Team changes: Valladolid: None / Osasuna: Alfonso, Iván Rosado for Yanguas, Armentano.

Goals:
1-0. 35. Kaviedes (penalty). After Cruchaga ruled to have handled on edge of area.
1-1. 45. Cruchaga. Header following corner from right by Sena.

The kings of the draw, Valladolid, managed their fifth in six games to keep up their unbeaten record this season, although the lack of three point victories means they are only in eighth place. Pancho Ferraro saw no reason to change his side, with his keeper Ricardo at the top of the 'Zamora'. goalkeepers' table having only let in three in six games including this one. Osasuna manager Miguel Angel Lotina opted to bring in Iván Rosado at centre forward instead of Armentano, and replaced the suspended Yanguas with Alfonso.

Before the kick off there was a minute's silence in memory of Pedro Maria Saralegui, president of Valladolid's majority shareholders, who died of a heart attack whilst watching the Barça vs Real Madrid match on television. Club president Nacho Lewin was absent from the match attending his close friend's funeral, and there is now some uncertainty as to whether the club will change hands without their largest backer.

Osasuna defender Cruchaga had a hand in both goals in more ways than one, handling the ball ten minutes before the interval as Kaviedes pushed the ball past him. The Colombian striker took the resulting penalty kick himself, dedicating his goal to his colleague Cuauhtémoc Blanco, who will be out for most of the season with a knee injury. Ten minutes later Cruchaga made up for his mistake, heading past Ricardo on the stroke of half time. That was a fair result, with both teams sharing the honours in a first half with little scoring chances.

Shortly after the break, Osasuna midfielder Alfredo fell awkwardly and put his elbow out, not a pretty sight for the squeamish, and that took the stuffing out of the visitors. In the dying minutes of the match Nuno tipped a header from Turiel over the bar, and that was about the end of it. Osasuna had got the point they came for and had held on to their unbeaten away record. Not the sort of performance though that will get either set of fans out of their armchairs in the cold winter months.

Results