Zaragoza 2 - Real Madrid 3

Zaragoza: Juanmi; Pablo (Gurenko 46'), Aguado, Paco, Lanna; José Ignacio, Acuña; Juanele (Ferrón 78'), Jamelli (Peternac 80'), Vellisca; Yordi. 4-2-3-1.
Real Madrid: Casillas; Michel Salgado, Iván Helguera, Karanka, Roberto Carlos; Makelele, Flavio Conceiçao; McManaman (Figo 66'), Raúl, Savio (Munitis 86'); Guti. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Zaragoza: Lanna, Yordi for Sundgren, Esnaider / Madrid: Celades, Flavio Conceiçao, Raúl for Hierro, Makelele, Figo.

Goals:
0-1. 16. Raúl. Headed past down Juanmi after cross from Savio on left.
1-1. 27. Juanele. Received Pablo's pass from right and placed shot past Casillas.
1-2. 33. Raúl. Headed McManaman's centre from right back across Juanmi.
2-2. 61. Jamelli. Ran through defence controlling ball with hand before scoring.
2-3. 67. Savio. Picked up Figo's short corner and shot inside near post.

Any doubts as to whether Real Madrid are going to win the league title were dissipated today as Real Madrid picked up their fifth win in six seasons at the Romareda stadium. With none of the five teams below them able to win the leaders open up an eleven point gap over second placed Deportivo with only seven games to go to the end of the season. Having played a gruelling match against Galatasaray in the Champions League midweek, Del Bosque decided to leave Makelele and Figo on the bench, the Portuguese star nursing a broken nose picked up in that game which required an operation last Friday to put it right. With Hierro out injured as well and Iván Campo not yet fully fit (even though we was in the squad for the first time in three months), Helguera dropped back once more to the centre of defence, with Celades and Flavio sharing the defensive midfield role once again.

Zaragoza were missing their key striker for this game, Esnaider being called up by Argentina for their World Cup match next week and also (conveniently) picking up his fifth yellow card of the season in their last match to get himself banned for a game he couldn't play in anyway. Lanna came in for the injured Sundgren at left back expecting to find Figo but ending up with McManaman as his opponent on the wing. The ground was full to capacity for the first time this season, and the crowd celebrated the arrival of the teams on the pitch with an organised ticker-tape display which left the pitch covered with paper before the match. Zaragoza started at a frenetic rate, with Aguado forcing Casillas to make an early save, and Esnaider's replacement Yordi setting up Jamelli for him to shoot over the bar. But Real Madrid knew that a victory was vital here, and in a show of effective football they scored on their first two attacks on goal, Raúl being in the right place at the right time on both occasions to beat Juanmi with well placed headers, his third and fourth goals in four days.

Juanele got a goal in between for the home side to level the scores temporarily, and Yordi hit the post with a header just before Raúl re-established the lead. Immediately after the break Carmona Méndez appeared to award a penalty when Juanele fell over the leg of Casillas, but after consulting with his linesman he changed his mind to a goalkick. Juanele later admitted he had tripped over himself, but the decision upset Zaragoza president Alfonso Solans, especially as the referee had waved away an earlier penalty claim after Salgado handled accidentally in the area. But a few minutes later the home side got a decision in their favour, Jamelli clearly lifting the ball past a defender with his hand as he ran through to score the equaliser. Once again though it only took Madrid six minutes to go back in front again, Savio scoring an individualist goal after picking up a short corner from Figo, who had only replaced McManaman seconds before.

This time Zaragoza weren't going to come back, seemingly burnt out after all their efforts had come to nothing, and without Esnaider, Luis Costa was reduced to bringing on Peternac for the last few minutes. Guti should have extended Madrid's lead but he put his header wide after a pinpoint cross from Figo, but it was not that important this time. The European champions rounded off a great week, and are well on the way to winning the two trophies they wanted right from the start of this season. Zaragoza slip back to thirteenth, but they are reasonably safe and are putting their hopes elsewhere this season, with a Spanish cup semi-final to come after the league finishes.