Valladolid 1 - Espanyol 1

Valladolid: Ricardo; Torres Gómez, García Calvo, Peña, Heinze; Caminero, Richetti, Chema (Fernando 70'), Turiel (Kaviedes 46'); Ciric (Pachón 82'), Alberto. 4-4-2.
Espanyol: Mora; Cristóbal, Nando, Pochettino, Roger; Toni Velamazán, Galca, Sergio (Morales 57'), Iván Díaz (Arteaga 46'); Martín Posse (De Lucas 65'), Tamudo. 4-4-2.

Team changes: Valladolid: Caminero, Chema, Ciric, Alberto for Marcos, Eusebio, Pachón, Kaviedes / Espanyol: None.

Goals:
0-1. 06. Velamazán. Clearance by Ricardo which hit him on chest and bounced in.
1-1. 55. Alberto. Header in off bar after cross from Kaviedes on right wing.

If SOCCER-SPAIN had launched a 'most ridiculous goal of the season' competition, the award would already have been given. Espanyol's goal in the sixth minute of this match was one of those that only happens in Roy of the Rovers comics, with Valladolid's goalkeeper Ricardo not spotting Velamazán closing in on him when clearing up field. His kick hit the midfielder full in the chest and the ball rolled back into the net. Probably the last silly goal was also by an Espanyol player, when Tamudo headed the ball out of keeper Toni's hands to score against Atlético Madrid in last season's cup final. To complete the anecdote, Tamudo was also one of the protagonists of this match, not for scoring a goal, but for reminding the referee politely that he had just been sent off. Pérez Burrull had given him a second yellow card ten minutes from the end, but forgot about the first one and didn't produce the red. Tamudo, who was walking off (something that only happens in cricket), turned back when the referee asked him where he was going, and told him about his mistake. The referee thanked him and sent him back off.

Espanyol's team for this game, at least for the second half when Arteaga came on for Iván Díaz, was once again ten eleventh's of that cup winning side, with Mora the only change from that match. They were up against a Valladolid side who had just lost their first game of the season, and their manager Pancho Ferraro made four changes, deciding to move away from the traditional Valladolid five at the back to add an extra midfielder. With Marcos suspended, Heinze moved over to left back, and Caminero and Chema came in to the middle. Ferraro also changed his front two, giving Alberto his first start of the season. The striker was his team's best player in the first half, and was just off target on a couple of occasions.

At half time Ferraro added another forward, Kaviedes, and ten minutes later he got free on the right to send a long ball over for Alberto to head home the equaliser. Paco Flores brought on fresh legs for Espanyol to defend the result, and they took away a point, thanks largely to Ricardo's mistake. Ricardo is still however one of the most on-form keepers in the league, and he did make up for his error later in the game with some good goalkeeping. His team pick up their sixth draw in eight games, and are currently in twelfth place, a victory away from the UEFA spots and a loss away from the relegation zone. It's proving once again to be a very close league.