Mallorca 3 - Athletic Bilbao 0

Mallorca: Roa; Olaizola, Nadal, Fernando Niño, Miguel Soler; Engonga, Marcos; Campano, Paunovic (Losada 70'), Novo (Cristian Díaz 75'); Luque (Carlos 92'). 4-2-3-1.
Bilbao: Lafuente; Murillo, Lacruz, Carlos García, Javi González; Orbaiz, Alkiza (Urrutia 80'); Joseba Etxeberria, Julen Guerrero (Tiko 63'), Yeste (Ezquerro 63'); Urzaiz. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Mallorca: Roa, Nadal for Leo Franco, Paco Soler / Bilbao: Murillo, Orbaiz, Julen Guerrero, Yeste for Oscar Vales, Larrazábal, Tiko, Ezquerro.

Goals:
1-0. 36. Luque. Took pass and beat Lacruz before placing ball past keeper.
2-0. 71. Engonga (penalty). After Carlos García brought down Paunovic.
3-0. 91. Losada. Ran on to long through ball to drive shot past Lafuente.

Athletic Bilbao's five match undefeated away record was spoilt by struggling Mallorca, who surprisingly beat them 3-0 on Sunday evening. With one eye on next week's cup semi-final against Real Madrid, Jupp Heynckes changed his side around, leaving his new star Tiko on the bench together with Ezquerro, and bringing back Julen Guerrero and Yeste. Mallorca had gone six games without a win, and Kresic changed his formation around, sacrificing one of his three central defenders to play with the more fashionable 4-2-3-1 formation and bringing back Carlos Roa in goal, by coincidence his first league appearance since he played against Bilbao fifteen months ago.

Maybe because of their cup commitments Athletic were missing the spark that has brought them 20 points out of a possible 27 away from home this season, and they allowed the home side to take control, with Luque a constant focal point up front. Ten minutes before the break the young striker broke the ice with a superb solo run, leaving Lacruz for dead with a clever feint before beating Lafuente for his ninth league goal of the season. Engonga added a second from the penalty spot after the break when Paunovic was ruled to have been fouled in the area, and new signing Losada came on to score a last minute goal after a long gallop, his first since recovering from the serious injury at Oviedo which kept him out of the game for almost a year. The victory takes Mallorca out of the relegation spots above Tenerife, and Bilbao drop to fifth, just behind Celta on goal average.