First Division - Day 15

Atlético Madrid 1 - Racing Santander 2

Atlético: Esteban; Otero (Javi Moreno 50'), Coloccini, Hibic, Carreras; Nagore (Emerson 46'), Movilla (Jorge 65'); Contra, Luis García, Stankovic; Fernando Torres. 4-2-3-1.
Racing: Lemmens; Pineda, Pablo Casar, Juanma, Neru; Diego Mateo, Nafti; Benayoun (Javi Guerrero 43'), Munitis, Regueiro (Diego Alonso 75'); Bodipo (Txiki 90'). 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Atlético: Otero, Carreras, Movilla, Luis García for García Calvo, Albertini, José Mari, Jorge / Racing: Pablo Casar, Neru, Benayoun, Bodipo for Moratón, Sietes, Pablo Sierra, Javi Guerrero.

Goals:
0-1. 42. Munitis. Ran on to long ball through defence to shoot across keeper.
1-1. 51. Emerson. Header inside near post following Contra free kick.
1-2. 64. Javi Guerrero. Picked up loose ball on edge of area to beat Esteban.

History repeated itself at the Calderón stadium, where Racing Santander beat Atlético Madrid 1-2. The Cantabrians had only won twice before at the ground, and both times on the 21st December, once in 1986 and again in 1994, and the eight year cycle came round again despite the best efforts of the home side to maintain their unbeaten home record this season. Luis Aragonés had drafted Movilla in to the side, and he brought a fingertip save out of the Lemmens with a long shot in the opening minutes. However the visitors took the lead shortly before half time when a long clearance found the Atleti defence half asleep, and Munitis ran on unchallenged to round Esteban and score.

Aragonés brought on Emerson at the break, and six minutes later he got on the end of Contra's free kick from the right to beat Lemmens with a header into the top of the net. However the ex Middlesborough, Tenerife and Deportivo midfielder failed to cut out a ball back in to the area by the visitors soon afterwards, and substitute Javi Guerrero gratefully snapped it up to drill a shot past Esteban to restore the lead. With a quarter of an hour to go Javi Moreno headed the ball into the net from a corner only to see the goal ruled out as he had illegally climbed over a defender, and Lemmens made a vital save from Fernando Torres near the end. The result gives Racing their second win in a row and they move up to ninth, only a point and a place now behind their opponents, who have only picked up three points out of a possible twelve.