Zaragoza 2 - Deportivo La Coruña 1

Zaragoza: Juanmi; Pablo, Aguado, Paco, Sundgren; José Ignacio, Acuña; Juanele (Ferrón 80'), Jamelli (Garitano 80'), Vellisca; Esnaider. 4-2-3-1.
Deportivo: Molina; Manuel Pablo, César, Naybet, Romero; Donato, Valerón (Emerson 60'); Makaay (Scaloni 70'), Djalminha, Fran; Pandiani (Diego Tristán 64'). 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Zaragoza: Pablo, Jamelli for Rebosio, Gurenko / Depor: Donato, Romero, Valerón, Makaay, Pandiani for Capdevila, Duscher, Emerson, Víctor, Diego Tristán.

Goals:
1-0. 44. Jamelli. Played one two with Esnaider and shot through keeper.
2-0. 82. Esnaider. Turned and ran on to Sundgren free kick to shoot over keeper.
2-1. 86. Naybet. Close range header after Fran chipped over cross from left.

Deportivo ended one of their worst weeks of the season with a defeat at the hands of Zaragoza. Having lost to Leeds United midweek in the Champions League, they were defeated for the third time in a row away from home to virtually hand the league title to rivals Real Madrid. Irureta made five changes to his side, with Donato returning from injury to take a midfield role in the absence of Mauro Silva. With Valerón coming in alongside him. Makaay played wide on the right in place of Víctor, who injured himself in training late in the week, with Pandiani replacing Diego Tristán up front as the manager rotated his squad. Luis Costa only made two changes to a team that had not lost at home in twelve games before this one, with Pablo and Jamelli coming back to a virtually full strength side.

Zaragoza controlled the game right from the start, with Acuña and José Ignacio winning everything in midfield. Esnaider and Jamelli were also on top form, and both should have scored before the two combined in a passing move for the Brazilian to finally beat Molina just before the interval. Immediately after the restart it should have been two, Acuña's shot from outside of the area beating the keeper but ricocheting off the bar. Then Deportivo were reduced to ten men after Djalminha lost his cool once again, going in high from behind on José Ignacio after he had received a hard tackle from the midfielder seconds earlier. Pérez Lasa had no doubts producing the red card as José Ignacio was taken off to receive attention, and the referee was to further prejudice Deportivo, giving Naybet his fifth yellow card of the season and reporting Donato and Manuel Pablo for protesting and for bad language respectively, which after the disciplinary committee met midweek left the club missing four players for their next match.

Irureta dithered about who to put on, and decided with ten men he could not risk too much, taking off his two forwards and only bringing on one, Diego Tristán. Esnaider, Juanele and a now recovered José Ignacio could have extended the lead if they had found the target with easy chances later on, and Esnaider finally got the goal he deserved (his ninth of the season) eight minutes from time when he blasted the ball over Molina, the referee waving away protests for an possible foul by the Argentinian striker on César. In the last minute Naybet headed a consolation goal for Depor but it was too late, and they now have to get their confidence back to fight off the challenge of Valencia and Barcelona for the second spot, which gives the incumbent the right to automatic entry to the first league stage of the Champions League. Zaragoza move up to a fairly comfortable thirteenth spot, and with a Spanish cup semi-final to come at the end of the season they are looking much better. Luis Costa may be planning to stick around a bit longer.