Alavés 5 - Racing Santander 1

Alavés: Herrera; Contra, Eggen, Karmona, Geli; Desio, Astudillo; Magno (Iván Alonso 46'), Jordi Cruyff (Raúl Gañan 62'), Ibon Begoña; Javi Moreno (Vucko 85'). 4-2-3-1.
Racing: Ceballos; Tais, Arzeno, Mellberg, Sietes; Espina, Ismael; Manjarín (Morán 46'), Regueiro (Magallanes 46'), Amavisca; Mazzoni. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Alavés: Contra, Karmona, Javi Moreno for Téllez, Pablo, Iván Alonso / Racing: No change.

Goals:
1-0. 16. Jordi Cruyff. Header just inside area after free kick by Contra.
2-0. 35. Javi Moreno. Headed over defence after corner from Contra on right.
3-0. 56. Iván Alonso. Slow lob over keeper after controlling pass from right.
3-1. 63. Morán. First time volley on far post after long cross from Amavisca.
4-1. 66. Raúl Gañan. Half hit shot which folled keeper after Moreno pass.
5-1. 74. Javi Moreno. Left footed free kick from edge of area into top corner.

The boy is back. Javi Moreno returned to the Alavés starting line up for the first time in almost six weeks since injuring himself on his debut for Spain at the end of March, and he celebrated in style, scoring twice as Alavés humiliated lowly Racing. The result heralds a return to form for the Vitoria based side having lost both matches since qualifying for the UEFA cup final in their first ever season in European competition, and was a welcome relief for manager Mané who had expressed his concern prior to the game that preparation for the final was causing his players to lose their concentration.

Not to take anything away from their victory, but their opponents Racing had not won away from home in over a year now, and their third manager of the season Gustavo Benítez put out the same starting line up that drew against Rayo last week in an attempt to stop the rot. However they found themselves behind with a quarter of an hour gone when Contra, just back from a one game ban, found the head of Jordi Cruyff. Racing were creating chances but not taking them, with Herrera saving from Amavisca and Regueiro and Mazzoni heading wide, but they were found wanting from another dead ball kick before half time, this time Moreno getting on the end of Contra's corner.

Benítez replaced Manjarín and Regueiro with Magallanes and Morán at half time, and Mané brought on the man who Javi Moreno had replaced, Iván Alonso. And within ten minutes of coming on the Argentinian joined the Contra party, pulling down the Romanian fullback's pass to chip the ball neatly over the despairing Ceballos. Morán got one back with a spectacular first time volley, but it was only a flash in the pan, and substitute Gañan added a fourth from Moreno's pass three minutes later before the international striker moved back to the top of the league's Pichichi table with his twentieth of the season.

With ten minutes to go Moreno could have had his hat-trick if his free kick had not hit the woodwork, but it mattered little as his team moved into eighth position in the league, within two points of sixth place. The only downside was that three of their players, Cruyff, Magno and Geli will be missing for their next league game having picked up yellow cards, although Téllez and Pablo will be back and some will be rested anyway for the UEFA final a few days later. Racing meanwhile drop to next to bottom, and with four points now separating them from safety they look a lot like relegation material. Next week they play Oviedo, and if they don't win that one they can wave goodbye to the big time.