Celta Vigo 2 - Deportivo La Coruña 1

Celta: Cavallero; Velasco, Djorovic, Cáceres, Juanfran; Vagner, Giovanella; Edu, Mostovoi, Gustavo López (Yago 85'); Catanha (Jesuli 71'). 4-2-3-1.
Deportivo: Molina; Manuel Pablo, Donato, Helder, Romero; Emerson (Turu Flores 75'), Mauro Silva; Makaay, Valerón, Fran (Víctor 46'); Diego Tristán (Fernando 61'). 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Celta: Djorovic, Giovanella, Edu for Berizzo, Jayo, Karpin / Depor: Manuel Pablo, Donato, Romero, Valerón for Scaloni, César, Capdevila, Víctor.

Goals:
0-1. 54. Valerón. Header back past keeper after Helder laid ball over from left.
1-1. 57. Djorovic. Took cross from right, turned and shot into top of net
2-1. 69. Mostovoi. Bent ball wide of keeper from edge of area after Edu short pass.

Celta virtually handed the league title to Real Madrid by coming from behind to defeat their local rivals Deportivo La Coruña in the only match played on Saturday night. Deportivo's defeat leaves them eleven points behind the leaders, still in second place but now only four points ahead of the chasing pack. The hero of the day was Celta's Alexander Mostovoi, who until a few hours before kick off was not even going to be playing in this game. Mostovoi had been sanctioned by the disciplinary committee with a two match ban after being sent off last week, but after two appeals the suspension was reduced first to one match and finally to nothing. His participation proved vital, scoring the winning goal twenty minutes from the end with a curling shot from the edge of the area which beat Cavallero. The other goal by the home side also came from a player who just made the team, Yugoslavian defender Goran Djorovic playing for the first time in four months after recovering from a long injury.

He came in for Berizzo, who had his appeal against his one match ban turned down by the disciplinary committee during the week. With Karpin injured and Jayo called up by Peru, Giovanella and Edu also came in to the starting line up for Celta. Deportivo came in to the game on a low having been knocked out of the Champions League midweek by Leeds United despite winning on the night, and Irureta tried to pick up his dejected players. There was no Djalminha in the team, the Brazilian serving out the second of his two match suspension, and Valerón came in to his position, with striker Makaay surprisingly being picked to play on the right wing in place of the tired Víctor. Irureta was expected to play Scaloni in that position, but the Argentinian caused bad feelings at Celta after some out of place comments about the Vigo side during the league victory celebrations in the summer, and with trouble brewing amongst rival fans the manager decided not to provoke matters further. Manuel Pablo and Donato came back after their one match ban.

Despite starting well, Celta were not finding the target, and Deportivo created more danger from their two or three isolated attacks in the first half than the home side did from all of theirs. In fact only two magnificent saves by Cavallero from shots from Donato and Valerón kept them level by half time. Irureta replaced the injured Fran by Víctor at half time, and within minutes they were in the lead, Helder joining the attack to swing a long ball over from the left wing for Valerón to head home completely unmarked. The lead though only lasted three minutes before Djorovic scored, and Irureta upset Diego Tristán enormously taking him off just afterwards to bring on Fernando, with Makaay moving to the striker position. Then Mostovoi got his goal and the benches moved again, Víctor Fernández taking off his sole striker Catanha and Deportivo bringing on Turu Flores, Pandiani being unavailable through injury.

With three minutes to go Depor claimed a penalty as Velasco brought down Turu in the area, but referee Mejuto González waved play on. That was Deportivo's last chance, and for the sixth game in a row in all competitions they failed to win away from home. With the league realistically out of their grasp they now have to defend their second place, which gives them an automatic pass to the first league stage of the Champions League. Celta return to winning ways after their eleven match undefeated run was cut short last week, and they return to the sixth place, leading a group of five teams separated by three points. Assuming that Mallorca and/or Barcelona do not slip up, the five are fighting it out for the one remaining UEFA spot, although if Alavés or Celta win their respective cup competitions, other places could become available. Celta need to be in Europe next season, and on current form they will be.