Real Sociedad 0 - Tenerife 2

Real Sociedad: Westerveld; Tayfun, Kvarme, Luiz Alberto, Aranzábal; Xabi Alonso (Llorente 69'), Aranburu; Nihat (Khokhlov 25'), De Paula, De Pedro; Kovacevic (López Rekarte 61'). 4-2-3-1.
Tenerife: Julio Iglesias; Basavilbaso, Alexis, David Charcos, Bermudo; Bino, Jaime (Mustafá 57'), Martí; Hugo Morales (Bassedas 51'); Bicho Fuertes, Bruno Marioni (Xisco 63'). 4-3-1-2.

Team changes: Real Sociedad: Aranzábal, Xabi Alonso, De Paula for López Rekarte, Jauregui, Idiakez / Tenerife: Julio Iglesias, David Charcos, Bermudo, Bino, Martí, Hugo Morales for Sergio Aragoneses, Javi Venta, Lussenhoff, Jordi, Bassedas, Xisco.

Goals:
0-1. 18. Marioni. Struck free kick from right of area over wall and into top corner.
0-2. 88. Bicho Fuertes (penalty). After Fuertes himself held back by Luiz Alberto.

Real Sociedad's manager John Toshack was thrown out of his job after his team lost at home to relegation rivals Tenerife. The result was a serious setback for the survival plans of the San Sebastian side, and they drop back in to the relegation spots having only picked up two points from their last three games. The pre-match build up was dominated by a war of words between Toshack and Tenerife's controversial new manager Javier Clemente, who preceded Toshack at Real, and neither acknowledged the other's presence throughout the proceedings. Clemente made six changes to the side who were held at home by Espanyol the week before, favouring Julio Iglesias in goal and having a look at some of his other squad members who he had not used so far. It was one of his regulars though Bruno Marioni who put the visitors in front from a curling free kick which left Westerveld standing on his line watching the ball enter the net.

Toshack didn't wait for half time, replacing Nihat with Khokhlov with less than half an hour gone. Although the fans didn't think so at first, it proved to be an inspired move, the Russian international creating three or four chances for his team mates before the break. However they were not at his level, and when he eventually tried himself Iglesias was there to make a brilliant one-handed save. The home side kept up the pressure in the second half until Toshack tried his hand at another surprise substitution, but the replacement of his top striker Kovacevic by full back López Rekarte was less successful than his first change. Then with a couple of minutes to go referee Ramírez Domínguez ruled that Luiz Alberto had held back Bicho Fuertes in the penalty area, and Fuertes himself converted the kick. Tenerife rose off the bottom of the table above their opponents, and it was all too much for the club management who decided later in the week that the Welshman would have to go, even though this was only their first defeat in five games. Clemente refused to comment on the sacking, but having put one over on his old enemy and taken his new side to within a point of safety he must have been feeling pleased with himself. Only five points now separate the bottom eight teams, and on this form Tenerife may be one of the five who stay up.