Oviedo 1 - Real Madrid 1

Oviedo: Esteban; Gaspar, Danjou, Boris, Rabarivony; Jaime, Onopko; Paunovic, Tomic, Iván Ania (Rubén Reyes 46', Geni 80'); Oli. 4-2-3-1.
Real Madrid: César; Geremi, Iván Helguera, Karanka, Roberto Carlos (Sanchis 46'); McManaman, Celades, Flavio Conceiçao, Solari (Savio 63'); Munitis (Tote 70'), Raúl. 4-4-2.

Team changes: Oviedo: No change / Madrid: Geremi, McManaman, Celades, Flavio Conceiçao, Solari, Munitis for Michel Salgado, Hierro, Figo, Makelele, Savio, Guti.

Goals:
1-0. 11. Jaime. Picked up ball on edge of area, turned and shot into net.
1-1. 27. Solari. Steered ball into net from rebound after Munitis hit the bar.

Oviedo failed to take advantage of a weakened and unmotivated Real Madrid side and drop back down into the struggle to avoid relegation. Having opened up a four point gap over the bottom three teams with a surprise victory at Barcelona last week, it looked as if the Asturian side were safe for another season. However a combination of results has left only two points above Osasuna in seventeenth place, and with a difficult trip to Mallorca to come in their last match they are by no means out of danger. Radomir Antic kept an unchanged side for the fifth match in a row against a Madrid team missing many of their first choice players, with Figo and Hierro injured and others left on the bench as Del Bosque gave a game to his non-regular players.

Having tied up the league title in their last match Real Madrid were given the traditional 'pasillo' welcome on to the pitch by the Oviedo players. But that was all they were prepared to offer their opponents, and after going close twice through Paunovic and Oli, Jaime gave the home side the lead with a speculative shot from the edge of the area. It was the midfielder's third goal in three games against non other than Deportivo, Barça and Real Madrid, and the points picked up in those matches thanks to his goals may prove a deciding factor at the end of the season. Madrid didn't take long to get back in the game though, and Solari made it all square after getting a foot to a rebound off the bar, the ball rolling slowly into Esteban's net. The keeper got a fist to a shot from McManaman a minute later though to prevent further damage, and his side regained their composure to put themselves back in control.

Five minutes before the break Oli got himself booked for a hard tackle on Roberto Carlos which left the Brazilian full back limping heavily, and veteran captain Sanchis came on for the next to last time before he retires at the end of the season. And only three minutes later Oli got himself sent off for over-reacting to a high tackle by Iván Helguera in the penalty area, the referee Losantos Omar ruling that the home grown striker had dived. It was a controversial decision as Helguera's boot had caught Oli on the shoulder, and the yellow card was removed by the disciplinary committee, but his histrionics left his team with ten men at a vital moment in the game. After the restart the visitors came out looking to take advantage of their numerical superiority, and Esteban had to produce a series of saves, particularly from Flavio and substitutes Savio and Tote. Raúl had passed a late fitness test to play in this match, needing to score a goal or two to consolidate his position at the top of the Pichichi table, and only Onopko stopped him as he produced a marvellous run in the home team penalty area.

But as the game wore on a desperate Oviedo came forward, and after Paunovic hit the bar and César somehow saved from Jaime, Geni missed the best chance of the match with the goal at his mercy. The season's first capacity crowd in their new stadium (omitting Spain against Bosnia that is) roared their team on, but in the end they had to settle for an unsatisfactory draw leaving them a lot to do on the last day. Madrid's only objective left is to beat Barcelona's record of 79 points, and they will have to win next Sunday to do so. They can at least be sure of another capacity crowd at the Santiago Bernabeu for that match, with Sanchis taking his leave from the stage sure to play. After that it will be a well earned rest before the new season starts, with a pre-season once again in Switzerland. Whether Zinedine Zidane will be with them is another question which will be answered soon.