Alavés 3 - Deportivo 1

Alavés: Herrera; Contra, Karmona, Téllez, Geli; Desio, Tomic (Eggen 88'); Magno (Iván Alonso 52'), Jordi Cruyff, Astudillo; Javi Moreno (Pablo 71'). 4-2-3-1.
Deportivo: Songo'o; Manuel Pablo, Naybet, Donato, Romero; Mauro Silva, Emerson (Turu Flores 54'); Víctor (Fran 80'), Valerón, Fernando (Diego Tristán 62'); Makaay. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Alavés: Tomic, Magno, Jordi Cruyff for Pablo, Ibon Begoña, Iván Alonso / Depor: Romero, Emerson, Valerón, Fernando for Capdevila, César Sampaio, Djalminha, Turu Flores.

Goals:
0-1. 17. Víctor. Set piece from free kick with Fernando squaring for him to score.
1-1. 21. Javi Moreno. Near post header high into net after corner from left.
2-1. 26. Javi Moreno (penalty). After Naybet ruled to have brought him down.
3-1. 72. Iván Alonso. Headed into empty net after Tomic lifted ball over Songo'o.

Deportivo's worst fears materialised as they lost once again to Alavés in Vitoria. The Coruña side have now played five times in the Mendizorroza stadium in their long history in the first division and have been defeated every time. This time however it looked as things would change, as they took the lead with a brilliant four-touch free kick, the ball zigzagging between Mauro Silva, Valerón and Fernando before Víctor turned it into the next with just over a quarter of an hour gone. But Alavés came back immediately, and within ten minutes they were in the lead as the league's top scorer Javi Moreno struck twice to turn the match around. First of all he rose to head home Geli's corner from the left on the near post with the Depor defence mere bystanders. It was the fourth goal in a row scored against them from a corner kick, and is proving to be the Gallicians' Achilles heel. Then referee Fernández Marín awarded a spot kick to the home side after a high challenge from Naybet on Moreno, and the player himself took the penalty.

That threw all Irureta's plans into the air, and after his side failed to break through the Alavés web at the beginning of the first half, he decided to changes his pieces around. Unable to count on Djalminha and César Sampaio, both suspended, he put on Turu Flores and then Diego Tristán for a not fully fit Emerson and then for Fernando, who had been drafted in to cut out the runs from the dangerous Contra down the right flank. However Mané was the better chess master on the night, and he made his move, bringing on super-sub Iván Alonso for Magno early in the second half. With Depor leaving gaps at the back they were always vulnerable, and Songo'o, replacing the injured Molina in goal, had to save in spectacular fashion from Astudillo, tipping the ball on to the post. But then Tomic, returning to the side together with Jordi Cruyff after a one match suspension, got away down the right, and with Songo'o looking to smother the ball, the Yugoslavian lifted it over him and on to the head of Alonso, who nodded it into the empty net.

The Argentinian almost made it four as Songo'o once again pulled off a great save, and Diego Tristán missed a golden opportunity for the visitors a few minutes from time after Fran, making his first appearance after a long injury, opened up the defence with a through ball. But it was all over, and Deportivo's five match undefeated record away from home came to an end in one of their bogey grounds. They drop behind Valencia and Real Madrid to third, still with a four point gap over three teams, including Alavés who are now fifth. The Vitoria side have restored some pride after being knocked out of the cup midweek by second division B side Torrelavega on penalties, but then that competition was never a priority, and with UEFA cup matches coming up in the new year as well they are probably better off without a too heavy calendar, especially as their squad is not that deep.