Athletic Bilbao 1 - Rayo Vallecano 1

Bilbao: Lafuente; Javi González, Oscar Vales, Aitor Ocio (Murillo 46'), Larrainzar; Urrutia (Julen Guerrero 77'), Alkiza; Ezquerro, Tiko, Yeste (Joseba Etxeberria 67'); Urzaiz. 4-2-3-1.
Rayo: Imanol Etxeberria; Corino, De Quintana, Mainz, Graff; Peragón, Quevedo, Pablo Sanz, Michel; Baljic (Helder 82'), Bolo (Bolic 85'). 4-4-2.

Team changes: Bilbao: Aitor Ocio, Larrainzar, Urrutia, Ezquerro for Felipe, Lacruz, Orbaiz, Joseba Etxeberria / Rayo: Imanol Etxeberria, Corino, Graff, Quevedo, Bolo for Lopetegui, Mauro, Alcázar, Helder, Bolic.

Goals:
0-1. 72. Michel. Picked up bad clearance by Lafuente and shot back into net.
1-1. 78. Urzaiz. From close up after Ezquerro ran through and laid ball across.

Athletic Bilbao were almost caught out by bottom club Rayo Vallecano, who outplayed them at the San Mames stadium and ended up unlucky to only come away with a point. Both sides had made several changes, with youngster Aitor Ocio and veteran Urrutia coming in for the home side in place of the suspended Lacruz and Orbaiz, the former making his home debut and the latter playing his fifteenth game of the season which means he automatically gets another year's contract at the club. Manzano made five changes, including bringing back keeper Imanol Exeberria to play against his old club, although he was unable to include new signing Jordi Ferrón as the league's offices were closed for business on what was theoretically the first day of the new transfer window.

On paper this should have been a home banker, with Athletic unbeaten for eight games and Rayo clocking up seven away defeats in a row. However the Madrid based side took the initiative right from the start, with Peragón, Corino and Baljic (with a little help from Javi González) all going close in the first ten minutes. Bilbao did come back briefly, but the visitors took the lead late in the second half when an error by keeper Lafuente gifted the ball to Michel. It was left to Bilbao's two most on-form players to bail them out of trouble, Ezquerro crossing in for Urzaiz to score his tenth of the season to keep him at the top of the goalscorers chart. Bilbao drop a place to sixth and Rayo stay in last place, disappointed they didn't win but at least picking up their first away point in three and a half months.