Real Sociedad 1 - Valencia 2

Real Sociedad: Alberto; Fuentes, Loren, Julio César, López Rekarte (Alejandro 87'); Luiz Alberto, Idiakez (Gabilondo 72'); Tayfun, Khokhlov, Aranzábal; De Paula (Gurrutxaga 46'). 4-2-3-1.
Valencia: Cañizares; Ayala, Björklund, Carboni; Angulo, Deschamps, Baraja (Ilie 60'), Vicente (Kily González 76'); Aimar; Zahovic, Diego Alonso (Carew 72'). 3-4-1-2.

Team changes: Real: López Rekarte, Luiz Alberto, De Paula for Xavi Alonso, De Pedro, Jankauskas / Valencia: Ayala, Carboni, Deschamps, Aimar, Zahovic, Diego Alonso for Angloma, Djukic, Fabio Aurelio, Mendieta, Juan Sánchez, Carew.

Goals:
0-1. 67. Zahovic. Controlled and beat keeper after Alonso headed down corner.
1-1. 75. Aranzábal (penalty). After player himself tripped over Cañizares.
1-2. 82. Aimar. Shot from edge of area which deflected off Julio César.

Referee Medina Cantalejo handed the three points on a plate to Valencia and at the same time caused a small riot when he sent off two Real Sociedad players in a seven minute period before half time. Medina had earlier waved away appeals for a penalty when López Rekarte had clearly been pushed over by Aimar in the box, and after producing a second yellow card to Luiz Alberto seven minutes before half time he followed up by giving a direct red to Fuentes just before the break as he clattered in to Aimar down the wing. It was too much for the long-suffering Real fans, and as the referee and his assistants left the field objects rained down, leaving one of the linesmen needing three stitches to a cut on the forehead and another official requiring medical attention. Up to that point the game had been fairly even, with both sides failing to take advantage of chances, Khokhlov shooting wide and Cañizares saving from a De Paula overhead kick at one end and Baraja missing a couple of opportunities at the other.

Héctor Cúper had put out a starting line up packed with reserves, needing to rest key players for the return Champions League semi-final with Leeds United next Tuesday night. Mendieta and Angloma had been left at home together with the suspended Djukic and Sánchez, and Pellegrino, Kily González and Carew began the game on the substitutes' bench. John Toshack was forced to leave out three of his first choice players all of whom were suspended, with striker Jankauskas banned for four games after elbowing Ramón in the last game against Las Palmas. Even so they were hoping to get a result against their below strength opponents, having not lost at home now since mid-January. With only nine men left Toshack was forced to make changes at half time, putting on young defender Gurrutxaga for De Paula. His side hung on though and even had a chance to go ahead through Tayfun and then Khokhlov before logic prevailed, Zahovic taking advantage of the absence of his colleagues to demonstrate to Cúper his sharpness in the area in scoring the first goal.

Real didn't give up even then, and within eight minutes they were back in the game, once again thanks to a dubious decision by the referee. Maybe Medina Cantalejo felt that the best way to get out of the ground unharmed was to compensate his earlier decisions, but whatever the case his penalty ruling after Aranzábal fell over Cañizares was not clear even to the Real players. Aranzábal didn't argue though and stepped up to take the kick himself, Cañizares getting a hand to the ball but unable to prevent it entering the net. Cúper had already brought on Ilie, returning after another six weeks out in an injury hit season, and Carew, and he introduced Kily González for the last quarter of an hour. And finally the plethora of stars broke through for a second time, Aimar's shot taking a lucky deflection off Julio César to send Alberto the wrong way. It was an inevitable result, but one has to feel sorry for the Real players who battled so hard. They drop back down into battle to avoid relegation having apparently risen clear with a string of good results, and to add to their woes their ground will almost definitely be closed for a game or two after the incidents at half time. Valencia increase the pressure on Deportivo who play the next day, now only a point ahead of them, and can concentrate for the time being on next Tuesday's game.