Betis 1 - Málaga 1

Betis: Prats; Varela, Juanito, Filipescu, Mingo (César 72'); Ito, Benjamín; Joaquín, Capi (Rivas 50'), Denilson; Joao Tomás (Amato 72'). 4-2-3-1.
Málaga: Contreras; Josemi, Litos, Fernando Sanz, Roteta; Gerardo, Romero (Zárate 57'), Miguel Angel, Musampa (Canabal 80'); Darío Silva, Dely Valdés. 4-4-2.

Team changes: Betis: Juanito, Mingo, Benjamín for Belenguer, Luis Fernández, Cañas / Málaga: Contreras, Musampa for Rafa, Duda.

Goals:
1-0. 46. Juanito. Shot past keeper following Joaquín corner from right.
1-1. 66. Litos. Headed down into goal from Zárate's cross.

Betis dropped out of the top six down to eighth after being held to a 1-1 draw at home to local rivals Málaga. With Belenguer and Luis Fernández suspended and Cañas injured after their worst home result of the season the week before against Valencia, Juande Ramos was forced to cobble together a new defence. However Benjamín returned from a one match ban, as did Musampa for the visitors, with Contreras now back to fitness returning in goal. Both sides created goal chances in the first half, with Málaga getting the best of them but letting Betis off the hook after Darío Silva and Dely Valdés dithered in front of a confident Prats.

However the hosts took the lead through Juanito immediately after the interval from Joaquín's corner, the defender's first goal in the first division. Joao Tomás had a chance to make it two but he allowed Contreras too much time, and in the following play Litos headed the equaliser from a cross from second half substitute Zárate. Prats kept Betis in the game with an excellent save from Zárate a few minutes later, and they ended the game with ten men after substitute César was sent off for a hard tackle on Miguel Angel. The game was marred by minor crowd trouble between the two sets of radical fans, with Betis supporters smashing windows of one of the Málaga followers' coaches. At least they went home with a point though, keeping them in twelfth place for now.