Rayo Vallecano 1 - Espanyol 1

Rayo: Keller; Alcázar (Bartelt 46'), Ballesteros, De Quintana, Mingo; Glaucio, Helder (Bolic 46'), Poschner, Michel; Luis Cembranos (Setvalls 70'); Bolo. 4-4-1-1.
Espanyol: Mora; Cristóbal, Soldevilla, Rotchen, Navas; Velamazán, Sergio, Galca, Roger (Lardín 80'); Nishizawa (Martín Posse 60'), Tamudo. 4-4-2.

Team changes: Rayo: De Quintana, Mingo, Poschner, Michel, Luis Cembranos, Bolo for Mauro, Urbano, Iván Iglesias, Setvalls, Bartelt, Bolic / Espanyol: Mora, Cristóbal, Soldevilla, Nishizawa for Argensó, Toledo, Lopo, Martín Posse.

Goals:
0-1. 22. Velamazán. Shot from right of area into top corner of net.
1-1. 53. Bolo. Half hit shot which crept past keeper after cross from Glaucio.

Two of this season's European candidates cancelled each other out in this match, failing to take full advantage of the defeats by Villarreal and Mallorca above them. Rayo returned from their midweek UEFA cup victory over Bordeaux as heroes, the crowd, albeit disappointing in numbers, giving them a rousing ovation. Their work done for the time being, Juande Ramos decided not to rest anyone this week, and nine of Thursday night's side lined up for this game. Keller came back in goal as is usual, and only the valiant Quevedo dropped out after battling on for so long with an injury. The pre-match build up was overshadowed by the passport scandal, with Rayo defending Bartelt and his Italian papers. Espanyol though have had worse problems, with Toledo the first player in Spain to have his licence revoked, for now at least, after the federation found irregularities in his Spanish passport, and Navas also on the list of players under investigation. Toledo claims everything is in order and is fighting the ban, but Paco Flores has to leave him out until the case is resolved. As a result Navas switched to left back, with Cristóbal and Mora returning after injury, Soldevilla after suspension and Nishizawa chosen to start for the first time in the league ahead of Martín Posse.

Rayo's midweek exertions left them a little jaded, and Espanyol went ahead after looking the better side for the first quarter of the match, Velamazán scoring one of the best goals of the week (again) with a volley over Keller's head from outside of the area. But then disaster struck for the visitors when Tamudo went in studs first with a high tackle on Ballesteros, and referee Puentes Leira rather harshly produced the red card. Tamudo felt hard done by as Ballesteros had been going in hard on the striker up to then, and in fact the disciplinary committee later reduced the red card to a yellow on appeal. However it left Nishizawa alone up front, and although the Japanese international impressed his manager with his performance, bringing a good save out of Keller early in the second half, Espanyol didn't create many chances from then on.

At half time Ramos went for the jugular, bringing on his two forwards Bolic and Bartelt to join Bolo up front. The poor state of the pitch didn't allow much flowing football, but Rayo drew level seven minutes after the interval when Bolo forced the ball past Mora. Espanyol decided that under the circumstances a draw was enough, and with Mora saving efforts from Bolo, De Quintana and Bartelt they survived until Puentes Leira blew the final whistle. The Catalan club take their first point in three matches to stay three points behind Rayo in midtable, with their opponents holding seventh place in the league, still four points behind the teams above them.