Deportivo La Coruña 2 - Mallorca 2

Deportivo: Juanmi; Scaloni, César, Romero (Donato 46'), Capdevila; Víctor, Sergio (Luque 55'), Mauro Silva, Fran; Diego Tristán (Valerón 74'), Makaay. 4-4-2.
Mallorca: Leo Franco; Cortés, Olaizola (Marcos 48'), Nadal, Poli; Novo, Lozano, Ibagaza, Riera (Robles 65'); Eto'o, Pandiani (Campano 90'). 4-4-2.

Team changes: Deportivo: Scaloni, Diego Tristán for Héctor, Luque / Mallorca: Lozano for Marcos.

Goals:
0-1. 13. Makaay. Got on the end of long Víctor pass to touch ball past Franco.
1-1. 31. Pandiani. Turned ball past Juanmi after Eto'o square pass.
1-2. 45. Eto'o (penalty). After Eto'o himself brought down by Scaloni.
2-2. 73. Makaay. Ran on to ball over top from Capdevila to shoot across keeper.

Second placed Mallorca put up a great fight at Deportivo La Coruña, and ended up drawing 2-2 despite playing seventy minutes with a man short. It was Depor's second such result in four days having also drawn against Juventus midweek, although Irureta went back to his old formation for this game having played with three defensive midfielders in that match, with Víctor coming in for Duscher. All eyes were though on the substitute's bench, where Valerón was back after a ten week layoff for injury. Mallorca came in to the game with an eight match unbeaten record, with a Walter Pandiani on top form. The striker was only able to play though as Depor forgot to include the usual penalty clause in his loan contract between the two clubs.

Pandiani was involved right from the start, but it was the home side who took the lead when the on-form Roy Makaay got on the end of Víctor's left footed pass with less than a quarter of an hour gone to steer the ball wide of Leo Franco. Then a few minutes later Ibagaza got himself sent off for insulting referee Rubinos Pérez, and it looked like the end for Manzano's side. Fran had a chance to extend the lead but blasted the ball over the bar, but Mallorca fought back, and Eto'o should have done better when Poli found his head with a cross in from the left. Soon afterwards though Novo put Eto'o through on the right, and the Camerooni laid the ball back from the by-line for Pandiani to complete his promise of scoring in this match. Fran almost caught out Leo Franco with a centre-come-shot, but on the stroke of half time Eto'o was closed down by Scaloni in the penalty area and Rubinos pointed to the spot. Eto'o himself rolled the resulting penalty past Juanmi to put his side into a surprising lead.

The second half was just as action packed as the first. Manzano lost Olaizola to a serious knee ligament injury, and Irureta put on a third striker Luque to join Tristán and Makaay. Tristán failed to get on the end of Luque's cross, and Donato was in the right place to cut out Eto'o when he broke through the defence. Finally though Makaay made it all square with his tenth of the season in the league, Lozano failing to cut out a long ball from Capdevila allowing him to run through unmarked to beat Leo Franco for the second time. Valerón came on to a standing ovation and showed some fine touches, but in the dying moments Eto'o almost snatched a winner, Juanmi making a vital save after the Camerooni striker broke free. It was a fitting end to a fine match, keeping up Mallorca's amazing run and taking Depor a place up the table to sixth.