Celta 0 - Deportivo de La Coruña 2

Celta: Cavallero; Coira (Giovanella 46'), Cáceres, Sergio, Silvinho; Luccin, Vagner; Jesuli (Edu 46'), Karpin, Gustavo López; Catanha. 4-2-3-1.
Deportivo: Molina; Scaloni, Donato, Naybet, Capdevila; Duscher, Mauro Silva; Víctor, Valerón (Sergio 75'), Fran (Amavisca 92'); Diego Tristán (Makaay 88'). 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Celta: Sergio, Luccin, Gustavo López for Berizzo, Giovanella, Mostovoi / Deportivo: Scaloni, Naybet, Capdevila, Duscher, Víctor, Valerón, Fran for Héctor, César, Romero, Sergio, Makaay, Djalminha, Amavisca.

Goals:
0-1. 32. Diego Tristán. Picked up deflected pass in area and lifted ball over keeper.
0-2. 65. Diego Tristán. Took chipped Valerón pass and ran round Cavallero.

The crazy season continues, with Deportivo La Coruña beating neighbours Celta 0-2 against all the odds. Celta were strong favourites coming in to the match after a ten game undefeated run, whereas Deportivo had only picked up two points in their last eight away games. Víctor Fernández though was missing his midfield general Mostovoi after the appeals committee refused to cancel his fifth yellow card, and his absence was noted in a first half in which the visitors took control. Irureta had made seven changes to the side which lost against Alavés on Sunday, with Djalminha away on international duty after being called up by Brazil for their game against Saudi Arabia and Romero pulling out after injuring himself in the pre-match warm up.

Depor came out well from the beginning and Naybet was unlucky not to be awarded a penalty when Coira brought him down. Then with half an hour gone a controversial decision by referee Medina Cantalejo led to an opening goal by Diego Tristán, the striker finding the ball at his feet in the penalty area and lifting it over Cavallero into the net as the defence hesitated. Even Tristán thought he was offside having seen the linesman with his flag up and did not celebrate, but to everyone's surprise Medina ruled that the striker had been played on by Celta's Luccin, who had accidentally turned the ball back to him, and allowed the goal to stand.

At half time Víctor made two changes, Giovanella and Edu coming on for Coira and Jesuli. That left gaps at the back though, and twenty minutes in to the second half Valerón chipped the ball through into space for Tristán to take it round Cavallero and in to the empty net. Celta's only reply was a shot from Luccin which Molina tipped around the post at full stretch, and three minutes from the end Vagner got himself sent off for kicking out at Tristán as he wasted time by the corner flag, making matters worse by clearly insulting the referee on his way off the pitch. The last few minutes were an example of anti-football as Deportivo used up the time keeping possession, committing petty fouls and making their remaining substitutions as the rain started to fall. The victory though takes them level with Celta and Real Madrid at the top of the table pending the other nine matches on Wednesday, and although Celta stay top on goal average for now, any one of three teams could overtake them within the next 24 hours.