Racing Santander 2 - Valladolid 2

Racing: Lemmens; Tais, Arzeno, Mellberg, Sietes; Julio Alvarez, Ismael, Vivar Dorado (Espina 73'), Amavisca; Rushfeldt (Preciado 82'), Mazzoni (Ceballos 68'). 4-4-2.
Valladolid: Bizzarri; Torres Gómez, García Calvo, Heinze, Marcos; Jesús, Eusebio; Fernando Sales (Pachón 60'), Caminero (Ricchetti 75'), Antonio López; Alberto. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Racing: Lemmens, Julio Alvarez, Ismael, Mazzoni for Ceballos, Espina, Jaime, Manjarín / Valladolid: García Calvo for Santamaria.

Goals:
1-0. 20. Antonio López. Centre come shot from left wing which went in off post.
1-1. 36. Amavisca. After Vivar Dorado and Mazzoni combined to set him up.
2-1. 39. Mazzoni. Picked up loose ball in area, controlled on chest and scored.
2-2. 68. Jesús (penalty). After Lemmens brought down Pachón in the area.

Racing and Valladolid shared the points in a match which had two main protagonists, both of whom were playing their first game of the season for the home side. The first was Racing's Belgian international goalkeeper Lemmens, who had been injured most of the season and who was brought in by new manager Gregorio Manzano after Ceballos gave away a soft goal in their last match. The keeper had a bit of a nightmare, being caught out of position for the first goal when a long cross from Antonio López 35 metres out on the left went in to the top corner of the net, and then bringing down Pachón in the penalty area in the second half to give away a penalty and get himself sent off with a direct red card. Ceballos came on to face the spot kick, and although he couldn't save the shot from Jesús, he did make vital saves from Ricchetti and Pachón late in the game to earn his team a point.

The other name on everyone's lips was Javier Mazzoni. The new signing from Lausanne almost didn't play, his papers only arriving from Switzerland hours before the weekend deadline. However Manzano drafted him in immediately and the Argentinian was the star of the Racing side, inspiring their comeback late in the first half by setting up a first goal for Amavisca and scoring the second himself. When he left the field in the second half to allow Ceballos to come on, the crowd applauded him off, protesting the manager's decision that he should be the one to leave the field of play. Mazzoni may not be last to join the club, Manzano hoping to sign a couple more players, including possibly Juanma from Salamanca and Rodrigo from Sporting Lisbon, before the transfer deadline closes at the end of January.

With Jaime suspended and Espina out, Racing brought in two youngsters Julio Alvarez and Ismael to midfield. Manzano was up against the team he managed so successfully last season, and his replacement Pancho Ferraro only made one change, bringing back García Calvo after injury. Paradoxically he is under pressure now after their ninth draw of the season left them in fifteenth place, although at least the point means that the Santander side do not gain ground on them for the time being at least. They stay in eighteenth spot four points behind their rivals.