Osasuna 1 - Mallorca 0

Osasuna: Nuno; Yanguas, Cruchaga, Vidakovic, Jusué; Alex Fernández, Lekumberri; Gerardo, Gancedo (Palacios 90'), Angel Luis (Armentano 62'); Iván Rosado (Alfonso 80'). 4-2-3-1.
Mallorca: Mono Burgos (Miki 60'); Olaizola (Novo 58'), Fernando Niño, Nadal, Miguel Soler; Armando, Marcos, Francisco Soler (Carlos 70'), Ibagaza; Eto'o, Luque. 4-4-2.

Team changes: Osasuna: Lekumberri for Llorens / Mallorca: Olaizola for Novo.

Goals:
1-0. 64. Armentano. Took long pass and held off Niño before beating Miki.

An on-form Osasuna climbed back out of the relegation zone with a narrow victory over Mallorca at a packed El Sadar stadium. The Pamplona based side went in to the round of four games against the top teams fearing the worst, but victories now against Barcelona and Mallorca, a draw at Real Madrid and an undeserved defeat at Deportivo has given them new found confidence and taken them two points clear of Real Sociedad and within a couple of points of struggling Valladolid and Oviedo. Their manager Miguel Angel Lotina never doubted they were going to get clear of the drop zone, and he only made one change, bringing back Lekumberri for Llorens as he switched back to the 4-2-3-1 formation after going to a more defensive 3-3-3-1 against Real Madrid.

Mallorca also needed points in this game with a Champions League place at stake, and Luis Aragonés also kept to a similar line up, only making a couple of changes, Olaizola returning from a one match ban and with Finidi unavailable, Armando moved in to midfield to take over from Novo, who had been given a one match suspension by the disciplinary committee earlier in the week. As it happened the young midfielder could have played, the fifth yellow card being removed on appeal on Friday, but Luis had already made his plans without him and preferred to leave him on the bench. Although it was a more conservative line up than usual, Mallorca did their fair share of attacking, and Luque could have scored on two or three occasions if he had been more on target, with Gancedo clearing off the line when he did manage to get a header in the right direction.

At the other end Mono Burgos was in great form, saving confidently from Iván Rosado and Gancedo in the first half and stopping a penalty from Rosado after the keeper had brought down the young striker in the box. However the Argentinian first choice keeper had to leave the field with a hamstring injury soon afterwards, and with Roa and Leo Franco also injured, fourth choice goalminder Miki Garro took over. That was the break Osasuna needed, and within four minutes they were in front after Armentano, who had only just come on himself, picked up a long pass and placed the ball wide of the youngster into the corner of the net. Alex Fernández almost added to the lead with a free kick against the crossbar, and Luque shot just wide again five minutes from the end as Mallorca threw everything forward. But their eight match unbeaten run had come to an end and they lose ground on Depor and Valencia, although they still cling on to that fourth Champions League spot, now three points clear of Barcelona, who could only draw.