Real Madrid 4 - Real Sociedad 0

Real Madrid: Casillas; Michel Salgado, Hierro, Karanka, Solari (Celades 65'); Figo, Iván Helguera, Makelele, McManaman; Raúl (Tote 85'), Morientes (Munitis 80'). 4-4-2.
Real Sociedad: Alberto; Loren, Pikabea, Julio César; Fuentes, Xavi Alonso (Tayfun 55'), López Rekarte; Khokhlov, Luiz Alberto (De Paula 73'), Joseba Llorente (Idiakez 55'); Jankauskas. 3-3-3-1.

Team changes: Madrid: Solari for Roberto Carlos / Real: Loren for Aranzábal.

Goals:
1-0. 13. Morientes. Headed past keeper after screwed cross from Figo on right.
2-0. 36. Morientes. Shot into empty goal after Alberto blocked McManaman shot.
3-0. 82. Raúl. Low diving header from wide of goal after Figo free kick from left.
4-0. 89. McManaman. Lifted over keeper after picking up pass from Munitis.

Real Madrid cruised to an easy victory against struggling Real Sociedad to maintain their five point lead at the top of the table. The last time the San Sebastian based team won at the Santiago Bernabeu the two managers were Vicente Del Bosque and John Toshack, and by a quirk of fate the same two were back in charge of their respective clubs for this match. In between Toshack had been manager of Real Madrid for a season and a half, during which time he won a league championship, although his presence at the ground provoked a wave of indifference amongst the fans. Despite the gap between their league positions, Del Bosque was taking no chances, and the only change to his side was the introduction of Solari for the suspended Roberto Carlos. Loren came in to Toshack's line up for the injured Aranzábal, López Rekarte switching to the left to keep an eye on Figo.

And an eye was about all he got on Figo, the Portuguese winger taking the Sociedad defence apart with another display of brilliant football. Figo laid on the first two goals, firstly for Morientes to end his goal drought with a well placed header, and then for the striker to add a second after Figo had set up McManaman for a shot which Alberto only half blocked. It should have been three a few minutes later when Helguera took another pass from Figo to head against the post, and McManaman also saw his shot saved by Alberto after Raúl put him through. That set off a timid response from Real Sociedad, although Casillas had little trouble saving from Llorente and Rekarte.

Toshack's side improved after the break with the introduction of Tayfun and Idiakez, and they were unlucky not to have a penalty as Mejuto González waved away their protests after a tackle by Hierro on Jankauskas. The fans were starting to get a little impatient until Raúl settled matters with a low diving header from another Figo free kick, dedicating his goal to 'the youngster of peace', Columbian Dagobert Ospina who was invited to Spain to meet his hero after being kidnapped in his own country by rebels and who took the kick off of honour.

Del Bosque substituted Raúl immediately so that fans could show him their support after UEFA's unprecedented ban on the player for scoring a goal with his hand, and he received a standing ovation from the crowd. Three minutes from the end the popular McManaman added a fourth, also to great cheers from the supporters, after a great pass from substitute Munitis, and Munitis himself almost got another with a shot which hit the post. The result kept Madrid away from their rivals after both Deportivo and Valencia won the night before, and left Real Sociedad back in eighteenth place, not much worse off as Numancia and Osasuna were the victims of those games, but another game less to pick up the points to take them clear of the drop zone. Del Bosque had got his revenge on Toshack..