Córdoba took advantage of a slip up by Sevilla to move to the top of the second division on goal average. Two goals, one in the first minute by Juanito and one in the last by Manolo against Badajoz were enough to give them their fifth victory in a row, helped by a defence that has only let in two goals now in eight games. Sevilla were held to a disappointing 1-1 draw at home against one of the bottom clubs Getafe, who didn't set foot in the home teams penalty area after Maikel equalised Olivera's opening goal in the first half. The top two have 17 points, opening up a three point gap as none of the four teams below them could win. Seventh placed Murcia took advantage to move up four places to third with a 2-0 victory against hitherto undefeated Recreativo. Both goals were scored by Argentinians, Figueroa and Timpani, in the first half. Murcia are level on 14 points with Jaén, who were involved in their sixth 1-0 game of the season at Eibar. This time however the result went against them.

The two sleeping giants, Atlético Madrid and Betis, are finally awakening from their slumber, and both won this weekend. Atlético hoped the result would help them forget all their troubles, although Kiko added to them midweek when he sneaked off for a medical check with AC Milan after being left out of the side. Although he failed the tests, he is viewed as a figurehead at the Vicente Calderón, and the thought of him leaving upset many people. The striker did come on late in this match, and was loudly booed when he did so. A goal by Correa in the first half and another by Juan Carlos in the second (making up for a penalty miss earlier on) gave them victory in a game where Hernández for Atlético and Iñaki and Serban for Elche were sent off. Betis got their first away win at the expense of Tenerife with a very early goal from Benjamín. They move up to ninth, but with many teams close together they are only two points away from Murcia in third place, and even Atlético are only five points off the escape hatch.

Two of the promotion favourites, Salamanca and Levante, cancelled each other out in a 1-1 draw, with both goals coming in the last seven minutes. The home side scored first through Pepe Domingo, but Lima replied for the visitors almost from the half way line two minutes from time. Two other clubs with plenty of first division experience also won, with Extremadura struggling in the end to beat Compostela by 3-2, and Sporting Gijon winning away at Lleida 0-1 with a last minute goal by Pablo Amo after the home team's keeper Busquets (the one who used to play for FC Barcelona) had saved a penalty earlier in the game. With rain pouring down from start to finish conditions were almost unplayable, and to make matters worse for home team supporters they drop to second bottom, two points ahead of Universidad Las Palmas who were beaten 1-3 by another promoted side, Racing Ferrol. This time at least the goal tally was a bit better than previous weeks, with only one 0-0 draw, between Leganés and Albacete.