Betis went to the top of the second division on Saturday night with a 2-0 victory over Compostela. Joaquín headed the first early on from Cuéllar's long free kick, and substitute Amato added the second near the end following a through pass by Capi. Betis have now gone nine league games without a defeat and are a firm candidate to return to the top flight at the first attempt. Last week's leaders Sevilla could only draw the following day at Murcia and are now a point behind their city neighbours. Olivera gave them the lead early on, but Timpani levelled the scores a few minutes later. In the last few minutes Sevilla's keeper Notario made vital saves from substitutes Zárate and Figueroa to make sure at least of a point. Tenerife moved back ahead of Sevilla into second place on goal average with a narrow 1-0 victory against Albacete, Barata getting the goal in the second half with a solo effort, lifting the ball over the keeper and heading it on into the net. Curiously, the Brazilian changed his boots at half time to bring him luck after failing to score for over two months. This was their second win in a row and confirms their return to form, and one point now separates the top three.

Salamanca kept up their challenge as well with a 2-0 win over struggling Elche, and they are three points behind the top group. Both goals came in the second half, with Toedtli getting the first from Quique Martín's pass and Munteanu the second from the penalty spot after Navarro brought down Toedtli in the area. Elche's keeper Iñaki saved an earlier penalty kick from Quique Martín. There is now a five point gap to the next team, Recreativo Huelva, who inevitably drew against Badajoz, their 1-1 result being the twelfth draw for each of them. Zafra gave the home side the lead almost by mistake when his pass-come-shot beat the division's 'Zamora' César, but David levelled the scores after referee Bello Rebollo turned down two penalty claims by the visitors. Córdoba moved up level with Recreativo after beating Getafe 4-1 with two first half goals from Manolo, both from passes by Gallego. José Mari added a third, and although Vidal got one back before the break, Tena added a fourth in the last minute.

Eibar and Sporting moved up to seventh and eighth places respectively after both won by two goals to nil. Eibar beat next to bottom club Lleida 2-0, their third victory in a row, with goals by Garay and Barkero from the penalty spot in a six minute period in the second half. Bakero had just joined the club on loan from Real Sociedad, replacing Llorente and Alonso who were recalled by John Toshack. Referee Rubinos Pérez gave them a hand though in the first half, sending off Lleida's Suárez half an hour into the match. Renaldo made his debut for the Catalan team after joining from Deportivo. Sporting beat bottom team Universidad Las Palmas 0-2 in the Canary Isles thanks to a goal in each half by Soto, his seventh and eighth of the season. Universidad only had one shot at goal in the whole match.

Atlético Madrid slipped up again on Saturday night, throwing away a one goal lead against Levante despite playing well. Aguilera got their goal in the first half, but Alberto levelled the scores in the second from the penalty spot. They are now twelfth, some twelve points away from the promotion spots. Dani, Atlético's new signing from Benfica, finally made his debut in this match. Another Madrid based team, Leganés, moved away from the danger zone scoring three in the first half away from home to surprise Extremadura, who are now only a point above them having only got one draw in their last four games. Alex opened the scoring in the first minute, with Joaquín adding a second and new signing Makukula (being watched by English club Newcastle) getting the third. Down at the bottom Racing Ferrol lost a golden opportunity to move out the relegation zone after throwing away a one goal lead in the last ten minutes to draw 1-1 with Jaén on a day when the three teams below them, Getafe, Lleida and Universidad, and the two above them all lost. Fran Nogueira gave them the lead just after half time, but Antonio Rueda made it all square ten minutes from the end. Racing have gone seven games without defeat, and are now nineteenth, only a point behind Elche and Compostela.