Espanyol 1 - Alavés 2

Espanyol: Argensó; Navas, Lopo, Soldevilla, Ricardo Cavas; Alex Fernández, Roger (Morales 81'); De Lucas, Pacheco (Martín Posse 63'), Munteanu (Palencia 72'); Tamudo. 4-2-3-1.
Alavés: Kike (Herrera 12'); Geli, Coloccini, Karmona, Llorens; Astudillo, Turiel (Witschge 50'); Jordi Cruyff, Magno, Ibon Begoña (Iván Alonso 72'); Mara. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Espanyol: Argensó, Munteanu, Pacheco for Mora, Paulo Sousa, Palencia / Alavés: Karmona, Turiel, Mara for Téllez, Pablo, Rubén Navarro.

Goals:
1-0. 44. De Lucas. Forced ball into net on far post after long ball in from Tamudo.
1-1. 84. Astudillo. Scrambled ball over line after Witschge free kick not cleared.
1-2. 89. Iván Alonso. Headed cross from Mara wide of keeper.

Alavés kept their hopes of European football alive with a last minute victory at Espanyol. It was a case of smash and grab for the Basque side, who only managed one shot on target before they scored twice in the dying minutes to turn the game around. Espanyol manager Paco Flores had made three changes to his side, in particular leaving out keeper Mora after failing to agree terms to renew his contract for next season and bringing back the eccentric Argensó, who lost his place in the corresponding fixture during the first half of the season after getting sent off for pushing over Téllez. The central defender was one of three players absent through suspension from the Alavés side after the team had been reduced to eight men the week before, although Magno won his appeal against his red card and was allowed to play. The home side dominated the game early on, with an onslaught on Kike's goal from the first minute, when Tamudo had his penalty appeal turned down by referee Puentes Leira after he fell under pressure from Coloccini. Kike saved well from Roger, Munteanu and Tamudo in the next ten minutes before he was caught by Pacheco's boot in another attack and was carried off semi-conscious with a broken nose.

Herrera took over though and carried on his good work, saving from an Alex free kick before De Lucas finally put the Catalans in front on the stroke of half time when he got on the end of Pacheco's headed pass. Gradually though they ran out of steam, and with the introduction of Witschge and then Iván Alonso Alavés finally woke up. Jordi Cruyff gave the first warning signs that the game was not over when he fired a first shot at Argensó, and the visitors equalised six minutes from the end when Witschge's long free kick rebounded off several players before Astudillo scrambled the ball in with a little help from Ricardo Cavas. The home fans got the old skeletons out of the cupboard, whistling at the unfortunate Paco Flores who had not done much wrong recently, and their protests increased when another quickly taken Witschge free kick sent Mara off down the wing for him to set up Iván Alonso for the winner. The defeat effectively ends Espanyol's challenge for the European spots, although they may well still qualify for the Intertoto cup and enter by the back door. Alavés are not registered for that competition, but have their sights set on bigger goals, with the UEFA places only three points out of their reach.