Racing Santander 1 - Real Sociedad 4

Racing: Lemmens; Mellberg (Estévez 75'), Arzeno, Txema (Tais 82'), Juanma; Julio Alvarez, Jaime, Colsa, Amavisca; Preciado (Morán 66'), Mazzoni. 4-4-2.
Real Sociedad: Asper; Loren, Corino, Julio César; Tayfun (Jauregui 58'), Luiz Alberto, López Rekarte; Khokhlov, Llorente, De Pedro (Fuentes 46'); Jankauskas (De Paula 69'). 3-3-3-1.

Team changes: Racing: Txema, Julio Alvarez, Jaime, Preciado for Neru, Tais, Espina, Morán / Real: Julio César, De Pedro, Llorente for Pikabea, Fuentes, Idiakez.

Goals:
0-1. 36. Llorente. Dipping shot from edge of area into far top corner of net.
0-2. 39. Julio César. Header from close range after Llorente headed on.
1-2. 45. Arzeno. Diving header from close up after long free kick from right.
1-3. 78. Khokhlov. Rounded Juanma and slid ball past Lemmens.
1-4. 88. De Paula. Header down past keeper after cross from left.

John Toshack finally achieved his first victory of his new spell with Real Sociedad at the fourth time of asking, and he couldn't have picked a better moment to do so. Playing Racing Santander, the team sharing bottom spot with the San Sebastian side, they finally came good with a result which gives them renewed hope of staying in the top flight for another season. Toshack brought in two new men for this match, Llorente who had been recalled from his loan to Eibar, and ex Real Madrid defender Julio César, who had just been signed on loan from AC Milan. As fate would have it, they got the first two goals of the game in a three minute period of the first half to give their side the lead and revindicate the manager's decision to include them. The Welshman also brought the crowd's favourite De Pedro in to his starting line up, although he replaced him with an orthodox right back Fuentes at half time after Arzeno had pulled one back for the home side.

Racing's (relatively) new manager Gregorio Manzano has been chopping and changing his side to try and find the right combination, but so far he has not got it right. Plagued by injuries over the last few weeks, he made four changes to his opening eleven, with Txema back after a one match ban and Julio Alvarez, Jaime and Preciado coming back in. Lemmens kept his place in goal despite the return to fitness of Ceballos, although after today's result that could change next week. With this match virtually counting for six points, the Santander club offered an additional free entry to every season ticket holder, and the fans responded packing the 20,000 capacity crowd in an almost festival atmosphere, with messages of support plastered around the ground. At the end they all fell silent, but they still clapped their players off the pitch and were applauded back by the team grateful for thier support. But this was Real's day, and after Asper saved well from Julio Alvarez, the visitors took control to lead 1-2 at the break.

Toshack pulled his players back to defend the lead, adding an extra defender Jauregui halfway through the second half, with Manzano bringing on more attacking players Morán and Estévez. But after Khokhlov had failed to take advantage of a chance and had claimed a possible penalty, the Russian didn't fail at the next attempt, cutting through the defence to put the result out of Racing's reach. De Paula added another at the end on a counter-attack as Racing threw everyone forward, and Toshack's boys were off the bottom. With Osasuna just ahead on goal average, Numancia two points above them, and a game to come next against another struggling team Celta, Real could move out of the drop zone within a week or two. It may take a bit longer though, but the San Sebastian team have five months or so to come so they are not in too much of a hurry. Racing though are in deep trouble, and they are paying the price of letting Munitis and Salva both go in the summer. They have just signed another unknown striker from Uruguay, 22 year old Mario Reguiero, but if he is no better than the Rushfeldts, Preciados, Bestchastnykhs or Mazzonis of this world then what difference does it make? Only time will tell, but then they don't have a lot of that left. Their faithful fans are already buying route maps to Almendralejos.