Celta 2 - Valladolid 1

Celta: Pinto; Velasco, Cáceres, Djorovic, Manolo; Giovanella, Doriva; Karpin, McCarthy, Gustavo López; Catanha. 4-2-3-1.
Valladolid: Ricardo; Torres Gómez, García Calvo, Peña, Heinze, Marcos; Richetti, Eusebio, Turiel; Pachón, Kaviedes. 5-3-2.

Team changes: Celta: Manolo, Giovanella, McCarthy for Juanfran, Vagner, Mostovoi / Valladolid: Richetti, Pachón for Fernando Sales, Ciric.

Goals:
1-0. 33. Karpin. Shot from edge of area after ball partly cleared.
2-0. 77. Edu. Took short pass from Catanha, ran on and beat keeper.
2-1. 93. Ciric. Juggled ball in area and lifted over keeper with outside of boot.

The last two undefeated records went this weekend, with Valladolid being beaten by Celta and Rayo Vallecano losing against Alavés. Valladolid had clocked up their second best start ever in terms of games lost, although with five draws out of their six matches, the number of points they accumulated was not much better than other seasons. They were up against a Celta team who were in need of a win, having lost three and drawn one of their last four matches in a black month of October. They lined up without Juanfran, who was suffering from a bad back after Thursday night's match in Belgrade, and also Mostovoi, who although now fit, is going through a bad patch both physically and mentally, with his mother in a delicate state of health adding to his problems.

Valladolid's striker Kaviedes returned to the club who loaned him out to his new employers, anxious to demonstrate to the Celta management that he could hold down a place in the squad when he returns next season. Richetti returned from injury, and Pachón was preferred up front to Ciric. Just before the match began, a seagull flew onto the pitch and then got itself tangled up in the goal-net, and the Vigo crowd, a superstitious lot (remember the garlic last season) took it as an omen. For the uninitiated, the 'seagull' is one of Catanha's nicknames, so called for the rather pathetic way he flaps his arms about when he scores (the other nickname is the 'red crab - don't ask me why). Anyway, their predictions came true in a way, the Celta striker hitting the ball up in the sky and then getting caught up in the net early on in the game.

Valladolid appeared to be going once again for the draw, with their now traditional five men at the back, and much of the game took place in their half. McCarthy shot over the bar when it was easier to score, and Ricardo kept out the other efforts until Karpin broke the equilibrium after the ball fell to him on the edge of the area. Marcos had their only real shot of the game a few minutes before half time, but a couple of minutes later the left back had to leave the field, sent off for a second bookable offence by referee Bueno Grimal who, presumably practising for spending his new found wealth after referees pay doubled last week, flashed the yellow/gold card around as if it had a magnetic strip on the back.

At half time Víctor introduced his Brazilian Olympic games star Edu, and the youngster demonstrated that he will be a force to be reckoned with in the near future. He was the home side's most active player after the break, and he scored his first goal on his home debut after Catanha put him through. Pinto had by then gone to sleep in the Celta goal, but he was caught napping in injury time by substitute Ciric, who juggled the ball on his foot before lobbing it into the net in injury time. It was too late though as Bueno Grimal, keen to get to the shops before they closed, ended the game. Celta go back up to fifth spot, their faith restored, and Valladolid went away to lick their wounds, dropping down to tenth in the league despite their good start. It all happens again next Wednesday.