Alavés 4 - Valladolid 2

Alavés: Herrera; Contra, Eggen, Téllez, Geli; Tomic (Karmona 55'), Desio; Astudillo, Magno (Jordi Cruyff 82'), Ibon Begoña; Iván Alonso (Vucko 74'). 4-2-3-1.
Valladolid: Bizzarri; Ricchetti, Peña, Santamaría (Alberto 76'), Heinze, Marcos; Caminero, Lozano (Eusebio 46'), Jesús; Ciric, Pachón (Kaviedes 70'). 5-3-2.

Team changes: Alavés: Astudillo, Magno, Ibon Begoña for Karmona, Pablo, Jordi Cruyff / Valladolid: Ricchetti, Peña, Santamaría, Ciric, Pachón for Torres Gómez, García Calvo, Fernando Sales, Fernando, Alberto.

Goals:
1-0. 03. Eggen. Glancing header after Iván Alonso headed back Geli free kick.
2-0. 16. Iván Alonso. Headed down past keeper after Contra cross from right.
2-1. 57. Eusebio. Placed ball wide of keeper after Ciric robbed Téllez and squared.
3-1. 76. Vucko. From close range after cross from Ibon Begoña on left.
4-1. 87. Vucko. On rebound after Ibon Begoña's shot hit post.
4-2. 89. Alberto. Beat Herrera from close up after Téllez miskick fell at his feet.

Alavés followed up their five goals in the UEFA cup semi-final on Thursday night with four more against Valladolid to move to within a point of a UEFA cup spot for next season. With Javi Moreno still not fully recovered Mané kept Iván Alonso up front, the Argentinian having scored three times in the two matches that he has replaced the league's "Pichichi". He did however rest Jordi Cruyff after his contribution midweek, bringing in Magno in his usual more attacking line up at home.

Valladolid were under new management, Pepe Moré taking over as caretaker after Pancho Ferraro resigned midweek. Moré made five changes, some voluntary and some forced upon him (Torres Gómez suspended, García Calvo injured), returning to the three man central defence that his team used last season. The changes had little effect though upon an Alavés side playing their best football of the season. Within a quarter of an hour the Vitoria side were two goals up, Eggen heading his first of the season in the league after only three minutes and Alonso adding a second, also with his head. Mané slowed things down until half time when Moré brought on Eusebio for Lozano, and the veteran midfielder put his side back in it after Herrera's kick was played back in by Ciric.

Mané went for plan B and brought on Vucko, and within two minutes the Croatian had scored, turning in Ibon Begoña's hard low cross from the left a couple of yards from goal. Vucko added a fourth near the end, following up after Begoña hit the post, and second half substitute Alberto got one in the last minute for the visitors. It was the fifth defeat in a row for Valladolid, and they go on to play Oviedo next week desperate for a win, level now with the Asturians just four points away from the relegation spots. The loser of that match will be dragged down to fight it out with the bottom four for the three relegation spots. Valladolid hope that it won't be them.