Real Sociedad 0 - Betis 0

Real Sociedad: Alberto; López Rekarte, Gurrutxaga, Luiz Alberto, Aranzábal; Xabi Alonso, Idiakez (Demetradze 82'); Tayfun (Gabilondo 60'), Aranburu, Khokhlov; Jankauskas (De Paula 25'). 4-2-3-1.
Betis: Prats; Cañas, Filipescu, Rivas, Luis Fernández; Ito, Benjamín (Mingo 79'); Joaquín, Capi, Denilson (Varela 55'); Amato (Dani 68'). 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Real: Gurrutxaga, Tayfun for Kvarme, Gabilondo / Betis: Amato for Joao Tomas.

Goals: None.

Betis drop two places to fourth, behind Real Madrid on goal average, after sharing the points in a 0-0 draw at Real Sociedad. Injuries to key players left Amato as the only available first team squad striker, and Juande Ramos opted to play a defensive game hoping to score on the counterattack. As a result it was a dull match with very few attempts at goal, most of which came from the home side. Aranburu surprised Prats with a centre-come-shot against the crossbar in the third minute and Xabi Alonso produced a free kick a minute later which Prats tipped a round the post. Gurrutxaga came in to the Real defence for the first time replacing the injured Kvarme, and he sent a header wide shortly before the interval.

Betis had still not had a shot at goal, and the pressure from the home side continued in to the second half. Idiakez headed wide when he should have hit the target, and Prats saved again from substitute Gabilondo. Ramos closed things down further, taking off Denilson with less than an hour gone, and his problems increased when Amato and Benjamín went off injured. Finally a Luis Fernández free kick eight minutes from the end gave Alberto some work in the Real goal, but López Rekarte almost won it for the Basque side with a floated shot from the right which Prats once again tipped over the bar. In the end though Real Sociedad stay down in next to bottom spot and lose a bit more ground on the teams above them.