Deportivo 4 - Málaga 0

Deportivo: Molina (Songo'o 80'); Manuel Pablo, Naybet, Donato, Capdevila; Mauro Silva, Valerón; Víctor, Djalminha (Duscher 77'), Fran; Makaay (Pandiani 70'). 4-2-3-1.
Málaga: Contreras; Josemi, Bravo, Fernando Sanz, Roteta; Rufete, Movilla (Sandro 55'), De los Santos, Musampa (Agostinho 55'); Darío Silva, Dely Valdés (Canabal 75'). 4-4-2.

Team changes: Depor: Djalminha for Diego Tristán / Málaga: Josemi, Bravo for Rojas, Larrainzar.

Goals:
1-0. 08. Djalminha. Soft header after Makaay chipped ball across from right.
2-0. 48. Djalminha. Half hit shot into net after Víctor crossed in from right.
3-0. 58. Makaay. Following up after keeper saved from Fran free kick.
4-0. 80. Víctor. Turned defender and shot into top corner of net.

Deportivo made sure of second place with a steamroller performance against Málaga. The Gallician side needed a victory to hold of Mallorca and to ensure their automatic qualification to the first league stage of the Champions League. They were however up against difficult opponents, with the South coast side in with a chance of the last promotion spot, and Irureta put out his best available side. The big news was the return to the starting line up of Djalminha after a six week lay off in place of the injured Diego Tristán, and he was to make an important contribution to the final result, scoring the first two goals for his side. The first came in the eighth minute, placing a header into an unguarded net after Makaay took the ball round Contreras on the right of the goal and chipped it over, and the second just after the restart, steering a shot into the net after a good run by Víctor down the right wing.

Málaga had not been playing badly up to that point, although the well disciplined Depor defence had limited them to long shots from outside of the area, including one just over the bar from Musampa. Peiró made a double change ten minutes in to the second half, but before the new players had time to settle the home side added a third, Makaay getting to the ball first to drill it past Contreras after the keeper had fisted out Fran's shot. From then on it was carnival time, and after Pandiani had headed over only minutes after replacing Makaay, Víctor rounded off his excellent performance with a shot into the roof of the net after leaving Bravo for dead.

With the match won Irureta allowed Songo'o to come on for the last ten minutes to say goodbye to the fans before he moves on to Metz, and he was given a standing ovation for his five years of service at the club. At the end of the day Depor finish the season seven points behind Real Madrid on 73 points, four more than last year when they were league champions, and the players pick up a 300 million Peseta bonus for finishing second. Málaga miss out on a similar bonus as they were beaten for the last UEFA spot by Celta, and with Villarreal also getting past them, they qualify for the second Intertoto spot by virtue of their eighth place. It is unlikely that they will take up that option however, as the first match is on 30th June, only a couple of weeks away, and the players need a rest before everything starts again in August. Even so, they have had their best ever season in the first division, and club president Fernando Puche will be handing over the reigns to a new president this summer knowing that the team are in good shape.