Real Sociedad 2 - Rayo Vallecano 0

Real Sociedad: Alberto; Fuentes, Pikabea, Julio César; López Rekarte, Xavi Alonso, Aranzábal; Khokhlov, Luiz Alberto, Joseba Llorente (Idiakez 62'); Jankauskas (De Paula 62'). 3-3-3-1.
Rayo: Keller; Urbano, Ballesteros, De Quintana, Mingo; Iván Iglesias, Helder (Dani Bouzas 65'), Poschner (Setvalls 46'), Michel; Luis Cembranos (Bolo 75'); Bolic . 4-4-1-1.

Team changes: Real: Pikabea, Xavi Alonso, Llorente for Loren, Corino, Tayfun / Rayo: Urbano, Iván Iglesias, Bolic for Alcázar, Glaucio, Bolo.

Goals:
1-0. 43. Llorente. Controlled Jankauskas cross on edge of area and beat Keller.
2-0. 71. De Paula. Chipped past Keller after pass inside from Khokhlov

Real Sociedad crept out of the relegation zone for the first time in 20 weeks, albeit for a little less than 24 hours, with their second home win in a row. With Corino suspended and Tayfun injured, John Toshack drafted in the two youngsters Xabi Alonso and Joseba Llorente, who he brought back from their loan period at Eibar midseason. Pikabea returned from suspension in defence in place of Loren, who had an off game last week against Barcelona. Rayo Vallecano were starting a run of three games in nine days in the Basque country, with a UEFA cup quarter final at Alavés to come on Thursday and, as fate would have it, a league match against the same side at the weekend. The last time that Rayo played in a UEFA cup tie Juande Ramos rested most of his key players, but with a spot in next year's competition only a place away in the league he decided to play an almost full strength side, only leaving club captain Alcázar and Bolo on the bench out of the players available to him. Mauro and Quevedo were however injured and Glaucio suspended, so Urbano and Iván Iglesias came in for a rare start.

Rayo Vallecano have never won in Real Sociedad's Anoeta stadium, but they didn't look as if they were going to change that as they let Real command the game from the beginning, with López Rekarte in particular creating problems down the right wing. Llorente was in the thick of all the action, and the young forward went close twice, hitting the side netting at the first attempt and forcing a good save out of Keller at the second. With a couple of minutes to go to the break he finally got the goal he deserved, controlling Jankauskas's perfectly flighted ball before drilling the ball past Keller. At half time Ramos brought on Setvalls for Poschner, and for a while their play improved, Bolic bringing two first class saves out of Alberto early on in the second half.

With an hour gone Toshack changed his front two, bringing on Idiakez and De Paula, and after Khokhlov played through a delightful little back-heeled pass, De Paula chipped the ball in to the net over Keller. Ramos gave Dani Bouzas his first run out of the season and added Bolo to join Bolic up front, but Real were not going to let it slip. The match being played on Saturday night, Real went over Numancia into seventeenth place, although the Soria side's victory the following day left them back where they started in eightenth. Osasuna kept a point behind them, but they left Racing further behind and Oviedo are now only three points above them after their defeat. Rayo's defeat did not in fact do them too much damage, with teams around them also failing to win, but they drop down to eighth place. They now have one of the most important dates in their history coming up on Thursday, and need to pick themselves up for that game. Alavés will not let them off lightly if they don't.