Deportivo 4 - Las Palmas 0

Deportivo: Molina; Manuel Pablo, Naybet, Donato, Capdevila; Mauro Silva, César Sampaio; Víctor, Djalminha (Valerón 85'), Turu Flores (Makaay 73'); Diego Tristán (Pandiani 68'). 4-2-3-1.
Las Palmas: Nacho González; Baiano, Alvaro, Olias, Paqui, Angel (Toddi 65'); Jorge (Edu Alonso 46'), Samways, Jarni; Guayre, Oulare (Orlando 57'). 5-3-2.

Team changes: Deportivo: Capdevila, Mauro Silva, Víctor, Turu Flores, Diego Tristán for Romero, Emerson, Scaloni, Fernando, Pandiani / Las Palmas: Olias, Jarni for Schurrer, Edu Alonso.

Goals:
1-0. 32. Diego Tristán. Took pass from Djalminha and shot from edge of area.
2-0. 47. Diego Tristán. From close up after defender trod on Mauro Silva's cross.
3-0. 60. Diego Tristán. From two yards out after Manuel Pablo's centre from right.
4-0. 80. Makaay. From close range after Víctor squared ball into his path.

Diego Tristán finally came good in this match brought forward to Tuesday night for local television. Tristán had been criticised recently since his record transfer from Mallorca for not coming up with the goods, and he had lost his place recently to Pandiani in the first team line ups. With Roy Makaay now fit, this was the youngster's last opportunity to prove himself, and he did so in style, scoring a hat-trick to take his side, for 24 hours at least, back to the top of the first division.

Tristán was one of five changes in Irureta's line up, with Mauro Silva returning from injury, Capdevila coming in for the first time in place of the injured Romero and Turu replacing the suspended Fernando. Their opponents Las Palmas, fresh from a run of three wins in a row, were missing central defender Schurrer, who was not allowed to play under the terms of the loan agreement which took the Argentinian to the Canary Islands this season. As chance would have it, that helped the league champions, his replacement Olías being left for dead as Tristán rounded him and went on to score his first of the night. His second and third were easier affairs, both being scored only a metre or two from the goal after first Mauro Silva and then Manuel Pablo set him up from the right. Djalminha's first time back-heel for the return pass to Mauro in the build up to the second goal had to be seen to be believed.

Tristán went off to a rousing ovation with twenty minutes to go, and on came Roy Makaay for his first appearance since his injury in the Euro 2000 championships. It only took him ten minutes before he had his name on the scoresheet, Víctor pulling the ball back from the left to leave him with an open goal. Deportivo have now gone nine months since their last defeat at home, and have two points more at this stage in the league than they did last season. Las Palmas are now entering the so called Bermuda triangle, with games against Barcelona and Real Madrid coming up next, and Sergio Kresic must be happy that they have built up a good cushion, ending the day in eleventh place, still only two points away from the UEFA spots.