Celta Vigo 1 - Espanyol 0

Celta: Cavallero; Velasco, Méndez (Cáceres 25'), Berizzo, Sylvinho; José Ignacio, Luccin (Giovanella 80'); Edu, Mostovoi, Gustavo López (Jesuli 70'); Catanha. 4-2-3-1.
Espanyol: Argensó; Navas, Soldevilla, Domoraud, David García; Maxi (Velamazán 60'), Morales (Fredson 60'), De la Peña (Alex Fernández 70'), Martín Posse; Milosevic, Tamudo. 4-4-2.

Team changes: Celta: Velasco, Mostovoi, Gustavo López for Cáceres, Giovanella, Jesuli / Espanyol: De la Peña, Tamudo for Roger, Velamazán.

Goals:
1-0. 17. José Ignacio. Took pass from Mostovoi and shot under Domoraud's legs.

Celta bounced back after their midweek cup defeat at Numancia to beat Espanyol 1-0 and hang on to fourth spot. It was not the best of performances though, and some of their fans whistled at the players as they allowed their opponents the run of the park for much of the match. Lotina could count on two of his star players, both of whom had recovered from injuries, and went back to his old formation having experimented the week before with three in the centre of midfield. Espanyol manager Ramón Moya gave a run out to Iván De la Peña, and Tamudo was also back after passing a late fitness test.

The visitors got off to a lively start, and Cavallero blocked a point blank shot from Tamudo with his face in the early minutes. It was the home side who took the lead though with their first real attempt at goal, Mostovoi finding José Ignacio in the penalty area for him to turn and fire a shot through the legs of Domoraud. Espanyol felt themselves hard done by when the referee turned down an appeal for a penalty when Méndez brought down Martín Posse, and Tamudo headed wide shortly before the half time interval.

Argensó had to be at his best after the restart to push the ball over the bar from Catanha, who was following up after the keeper failed to hold on to a long shot from Luccin. Other than that though much of the play was in the Gallicians half, and Cavallero had to save another effort from Milosevic. But then Moya decided to make three changes to his midfield, taking off De la Peña, who had been his most incisive player up to then. Lotina ordered his men to close up shop, and when De la Peña's replacement Alex got sent off after picking up two bookings in five minutes the game was over. Espanyol fall to their second defeat in a row, and after the early hope of a recovery under Moya, they drop further down in the relegation zone.