Atlético Madrid 1 - Real Sociedad 2

Atlético: Mono Burgos; Contra, Santi, Coloccini, Sergi; Albertini, Emerson; José Mari, Correa (Jorge 69'), Luis García; Fernando Torres (Movilla 79'). 4-2-3-1.
Real Sociedad: Westerveld; López Rekarte, Kvarme, Schürrer, Aranzábal; Xabi Alonso, Jauregi (Aranburu 46'); Tayfun, Nihat, De Pedro (Khokhlov 78'); Kovacevic (De Paula 87'). 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Atlético: Santi, Coloccini, Correa for García Calvo, Hibic, Javi Moreno / Xabi Alonso, Tayfun for Boris, Karpin.

Goals:
0-1. 46. Tayfun. Got ahead of defence to turn low De Pedro cross in past Burgos.
1-1. 49. Luis García. Ran on to Correa pass to cut in from left and beat Westerveld.
2-1. 63. Kovacevic. Header down into far bottom corner from López Rekarte cross.

With the season now half way over, Real Sociedad ensured themselves of the honorary title of winter champions after beating Atlético Madrid 1-2 in the only game played on Saturday evening. Raynald Denoueix's side has been beating all records this season, and they ensured themselves of top spot for the fourteenth week in a row with another competent display of football. The French manager could count on Xabi Alonso for the first time in the new year, but lost Karpin to an injury which is likely to keep him out for three weeks or so. Luis Aragonés surprisingly left Javi Moreno and Stankovic out of his eighteen man squad all together, and with his two central defenders suspended brought back Coloccini, Hibic and Correa.

All three goals came in the second half, but there was excitement earlier on when López Rekarte cleared a tenth minute effort off the line and then both sides hit the post from free kicks, first De Pedro for the visitors and then Albertini for the home side. Around the half hour mark referee Pérez Burrull awarded a dubious penalty to Atlético when Fernando Torres fell rather too easily under Kvarme's challenge, but Real keeper Westerveld saved his second penalty in a week, this time turning Correa's kick around the post for a corner. Then shortly before the interval Kovacevic hit the woodwork again, heading De Pedro's corner against the near post.

The visitors opened the scoring in the first minute of the second period when Tayfun got ahead of a static defence to turn in De Pedro's low cross, but Luis García equalised three minutes later after Correa put him away down the left flank. Kovacevic headed the winner though later in the half, beating Mono Burgos after López Rekarte had rounded Sergi down the right wing and crossed in. The eccentric keeper gave his fans a fright a few minutes later when De Pedro tried to catch him off his line with a shot from the halfway line, and although he got back in time, he decided to block the ball with his chest rather than catch it. The visiting players claimed that he was standing inside the goal when he did so, but the referee ruled that the ball had not fully crossed the line and waved play on.

Atlético pushed forward in the final minutes, Aragonés switching José Marí to centre forward and replacing the disappointing Correa and Fernando Torres, but the orderly Real defence stood their ground. José Marí went down again in the penalty area, but this time Pérez Burrull gave him a yellow card for diving, and in the dying minutes Albertini tried to repeat his free kick from last week but only succeeded in putting it over the bar. Real had completed the first half of the season unscathed, and they open up a six point gap over second placed Real Madrid pending their game in Bilbao on Sunday. Atlético lose out on a chance to move in to the top six, and could be out of the top half of the table if results go against them tomorrow.