Rayo Vallecano 1 - Deportivo La Coruña 2

Rayo: Etxeberria; Mario, Corino, Mainz, Graff; Azkoitia (Bolic 53'), Onopko; Peragón (Marqués 64'), Quevedo, Tal (Michel 64'); Bolo. 4-2-3-1.
Deportivo: Juanmi; Scaloni, César, Naybet, Romero; Sergio (Duscher 88'), Mauro Silva; Víctor, Fran (Toro Acuña 74'), Capdevila; Makaay (Luque 80'). 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Rayo: Mario, Quevedo, Tal for Mauro, Julio Alvarez, Mora / Deportivo: Capdevila, Sergio for Héctor, Duscher.

Goals:
0-1. 25. Makaay. Shot low into corner of net after Corino failed to cut out pass.
0-2. 49. Makaay. Received pass from Fran and curled long shot over keeper.
1-2. 92. Corino. Got ahead of defence to head Michel corner wide of Juanmi.

Deportivo La Coruña returned to winning ways with a 1-2 victory at Rayo Vallecano. Despite the defeat midweek at Lens, Irureta decided to stick to a similar line up, with Fran keeping his "Valerón" role behind Makaay and Capdevila playing on the left of midfield. The only changes were in defence, where Scaloni and César replaced Héctor and Donato. Rayo were missing the injured Julio Alvarez, but Tal returned on the left wing and Michel was on the bench for the first time in six months after returning from a long injury.

Roy Makaay set Deportivo on their way with a strike midway through the first half, beating Etxeberría with a shot from the edge of the area after Corino failed to cut out a long pass. That was about the only scoring incident in an otherwise dull first half, and the Dutch striker was to catch the keeper out again in the opening minutes after the restart with a speculative shot from almost thirty yards out which curled into the top corner of the net. It was Makaay's twelfth of the season, seven now in the league, making him Spain's top scorer to date.

Fernando Vázquez brought on an extra striker Bolic, and then introduced Michel and youngster Marqués in an attempt to avoid Rayo's first home defeat in over six months. But Makaay was unlucky not to score again, Moreno Delgado denying him a hat-trick when he incorrectly ruled out a third goal for offside. The referee compensated for his mistake a few minutes later by turning down a clear penalty appeal after a foul by Naybet on Bolic, but Rayo did get a goal back near the end when Corino headed home a corner from Michel. However it was not enough, and Depor take the three points to move back up to the top spots and restore their confidence in time for their important Champions League clash with Bayern Munich.