Deportivo 3 - Real Madrid 0

Deportivo: Molina; Héctor, César, Naybet, Romero; Mauro Silva, Sergio; Scaloni, Valerón (Djalminha 75'), Fran (Amavisca 87'); Makaay (Pandiani 75'). 4-2-3-1.
Real Madrid: César; Michel Salgado (Geremi 59'), Rubén, Pavón, Roberto Carlos; Flavio Conceiçao, Celades; McManaman, Zidane (Guti 59'), Solari (Munitis 69'); Morientes. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Deportivo: Héctor, Naybet, Romero, Makaay for Djorovic, Capdevila, Víctor, Diego Tristán / Madrid: Rubén, Pavón, Flavio Conceiçao, Celades, Zidane, Morientes for Iván Helguera, Hierro, Makelele, Figo, Raúl, Guti.

Goals:
1-0. 45. Makaay. Ran on to Valerón through ball to lift long shot over César.
2-0. 74. Fran. Took return pass from Valerón and slotted ball past keeper.
3-0. 91. Pandiani. Tap in on far post after Scaloni curled ball in from right.

Real Madrid will have to win next Wednesday's Champions League final if they are to qualify directly for the league stage of next season's competition. A 3-0 defeat at the hands of Deportivo La Coruña in their last game of the season means that Del Bosque's side drops below their opponents to third, and they will have to play a tricky qualifying round unless they end this year's tournament as champions. With one eye on that match the manager made six changes, leaving out Raúl, Figo and Hierro and playing youngsters Pavón and Rubén in the heart of defence and Celades and Flavio in midfield. Deportivo too had one notable absence, Diego Tristán out with a calf strain being replaced by Makaay up front.

The Madrid replacements were expected to be motivated by the chance to win a place in the squad for the match in Glasgow. However they looked lethargic as Deportivo got off to a lively start, with Fran shooting into the side netting rather than pass across goal and then lifting another chance past keeper César and wide of the post. Valerón shot over the bar and César saved from Scaloni, and Sergio also joined the action with a couple of efforts which were also off target. Madrid appeared to be leading a charmed life, but on the stroke of half time Makaay connected with a Valerón through ball to lift the ball over the advancing César and into the corner of the net. It was a morale breaking blow, but Madrid recovered after the break and for a few minutes produced their best football of the night, with Morientes scuffing a shot wide and Molina having to save from Zidane.

Del Bosque though was concerned about his players, and with an hour on the clock he took off Zidane and Salgado. Depor won back control in midfield, and after Fran had brought another good save out of César, the captain finally got his reward taking a precise return pass from Valerón to find the gap between a hesitant Rubén and the keeper. With the game won Irureta took off his front two and brought on Pandiani and Djalminha, now back in favour after his head-butting incident with the manager a few days ago. The Brazilian star immediately tested César with a bouncing free kick, and a few minutes later the keeper saved again from Scaloni's wickedly swerving shot.

Then with the game going into injury time Djalminha found Scaloni on the right wing for him to set up Pandiani on the far post for a third goal. Depor were runners up in the league for the second year in a row, and Real Madrid have now gone ten years without a win in the Riazor stadium. All of that will be irrelevant if Madrid win 'la novena' at Hampden Park. If not, we may even see a new manager at the Santiago Bernabeu next season. As they say, it's a thin line between success and failure.