Valladolid 2 - Real Madrid 2

Valladolid: Bizzarri; Torres Gómez, García Calvo, Heinze, Marcos; Jesús, Eusebio (Fernando 29'); Fernando Sales, Caminero (Ricchetti 80'), Antonio López; Pachón. 4-2-3-1.
Real Madrid: Casillas; Michel Salgado, Hierro, Karanka, Roberto Carlos; Figo, Celades (McManaman 77'), Makelele, Savio (Guti 66'); Raúl, Morientes (Munitis 77'). 4-4-2.

Team changes: Valladolid: Fernando Sales for Fernando / Madrid: Salgado, Celades for Geremi, Iván Helguera.

Goals:
1-0. 04. Caminero. Headed corner from right through Casillas and in off bar.
1-1. 45. Roberto Carlos. Low free kick which took deflection off defender.
1-2. 51. Morientes. Got ahead of defence after quick Figo free kick.
2-2. 75. Fernando (penalty). After Celades ruled to have brought him down.

Real Madrid couldn't make it nine wins in a row, but they kept their lead at the top of the division to take the honourary title of 'winter champions' with a draw at Valladolid. With the season now exactly halfway through, Madrid are two points ahead of their nearest rival Deportivo with a game in hand against Zaragoza to come next Wednesday, and look to be on line for their first title since 1997. Del Bosque was forced to make two changes for this game, with Geremi likely to be out for three weeks with a sprained ankle and Iván Helguera suspended, and Salgado and Celades came in. Savio kept his place on the left of midfield with McManaman on the bench despite recovering from the muscle strain that kept him out of the last game. Pancho Ferraro only made one change, bringing back Fernando Sales for Fernando. His side contained no less than seven ex Real Madrid players, with five in the starting line up and two on the bench.

However it was an ex Atlético Madrid man who got Valladolid off to a great start, Caminero getting to the ball first from Eusebio's corner in the fourth minute to power a header through the outstretched hands of Casillas and in to the goal off the bar. Only seconds earlier his old friend Hierro had given him a friendly push in the penalty area as they lined up for the kick, and Caminero smiled back at him as they trotted back to the centre circle for the restart. Valladolid fell back and allowed Madrid to come at them, but apart from a shot from Morientes against the bar following a cross from Salgado and a free kick by Figo which went just wide, they didn't cause too many problems for the home side defence. Then with the clock ticking away to half time, Madrid were awarded a free kick just outside the area. The fourth official had signalled one minute of injury time which had already passed as Roberto Carlos stepped up, but Bueno Grimal allowed the play to take place and the Brazilian's shot was deflected by Heinze past his own keeper.

Six minutes in to the second half Madrid were in front, Morientes the quickest to react to Figo's quickly taken free kick to shoot past Bizzarri. Casillas saved from Caminero as Valladolid came looking for the equaliser, and then Fernando, who had substituted the injured Eusebio in the first half, wormed his way past Celades in the penalty area and fell under pressure from the midfielder. Bueno Grimal pointed to the spot, much to the dismay of the Madrid defenders who claimed he had dived (which he later admitted he had). Fernando, who is on loan from Real Madrid this season, asked if he could take the penalty himself, and he drove it coolly wide of his old friend and teammate Iker Casillas. Del Bosque brought on the three graces, Guti, Munitis and McManaman, but it was another of Valladolid's substitutes, Kaviedes, who almost clinched it in the end, first of all setting up Pachón and then going close himself in the last minute. But in the end the honours were shared, maintaining Valladolid's unbeaten home record this season. However with ten draws and no away victories they are still down in fifteenth place, and still need to keep up the momentum if they are not to drop further.