Celta 3 - Las Palmas 2

Celta: Cavallero; Coira, Yago, Méndez, Sylvinho; Luccin, Vagner (Giovanella 73'); Karpin, Mostovoi, Gustavo López (Jesuli 61'); Catanha (Edu 80'). 4-2-3-1.
Las Palmas: Orlando Quintana; Angel, Schurrer, Alvaro, Paqui; Samways, Jayo (Rubén 46'); Edu Alonso, Josico, Pablo Lago (Carmelo 60'); Orlando (Sequeiros 78'). 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Celta: Cavallero, Yago, Méndez for Pinto, Cáceres, Sergio / Las Palmas: Orlando Quintana, Angel, Pablo Lago for Cicovic, Jorge, Carmelo.

Goals:
1-0. 21. Catanha. Shot under keeper from close up after Mostovoi laid ball back.
2-0. 38. Mostovoi. Half-hit shot into corner of net from Vagner pass in.
2-1. 56. Orlando. Hit free kick low past keeper from outside area.
2-2. 72. Paqui. Glancing header across goal from Samways free kick on right.
3-2. 77. Karpin. Spectacular first time volley from Jesuli long ball over defence.

Celta moved up a place to fifth after a spectacular Karpin goal gave them a 3-2 win over Las Palmas. The Russian midfielder unleashed a first time volley into the roof of the net from Jesuli's long cross to silence part of the crowd who had started to criticise their own players after they had thrown away a two goal lead. Celta had started strongly, Las Palmas third choice keeper Orlando Quintana doing well to get a foot to Mostovoi's effort in the first minute. Quintana was making his first start after Nacho González was banned for having a false passport and then Cicovic picked up an injury, but he could do nothing in the twentieth minute when Mostovoi held off Angel and laid the ball back for Catanha to score his fourth goal in two matches. By half time the Gallicians were cruising after Mostovoi himself had added a second, bending a shot past the keeper from Vagner's pass.

Las Palmas manager Fernando Vázquez brought on an extra forward at the break, but Celta went close to scoring again when the young keeper just kept out another effort from Mostovoi. But then the wheels fell off, the visitors getting back in the game with two set-piece goals in a quarter of an hour spell, the first directly from an Orlando free kick and then another from Paqui, who headed a Samways free kick past Cavallero. The Las Palmas players protested to the referee when he stopped Josico for a very dubious offside when he was en route to goal, but then came Karpin's strike to put them back in their place. Víctor Fernández brought on Edu, and he somehow missed two golden opportunities to increase the lead in the last three minutes of the game. It wasn't needed though, and Celta get back on track with their second win in a row after a long run without winning. Las Palmas drop to within a place of the bottom three, ahead of Zaragoza on goal average.