Deportivo La Coruña 2 - Real Sociedad 1

Deportivo: Molina; Manuel Pablo, Andrade (Capdevila 40'), Naybet, Romero; Scaloni, Sergio, Mauro Silva, Fran; Makaay (Luque 59'), Diego Tristán (Valerón 46'). 4-2-3-1.
Real Sociedad: Westerveld; López Rekarte, Kvarme, Gurrutxaga, Aranzábal; Xabi Alonso, Aranburu (Mikel Alonso 89'); Karpin (Khokhlov 90'), Nihat, Barkero (Gabilondo 89'); Kovacevic. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Deportivo: Manuel Pablo for Héctor / Real: Gurrutxaga, Barkero for Jauregi, De Pedro.

Goals:
0-1. 16. Nihat. Controlled long pass from Rekarte and rounded keeper to score.
1-1. 44. Capdevila. Beat keeper from outside area after short Mauro Silva free kick.
2-1. 83. Fran. Cut in from left and hit right foot shot in off Gurrutxaga.

Depotivo La Coruña moved up to second place in the table after defeating Real Sociedad 2-1. Real Madrid's win the night before meant that both sides needed the victory to keep in touch, and the first half in particular was hard fought. The visitors took the lead with a quarter of an hour on the clock, Nihat producing a delicate first touch from López Rekarte's long ball to enable him to round Molina and roll the ball in to the net. That woke Depor up, and although Westerveld kept out efforts from Makaay and Sergio, he could do nothing a minute before half time when substitute Capdevila latched on to a short free kick to equalise.

Almost immediately though referee López Nieto awarded a dubious penalty to Real when Gurrutxaga, starting his first game of the season, stumbled under Scaloni's challenge. However Kovacevic rushed his shot and struck his kick against the crossbar. Valerón and then Luque came on in the second half for the Gallicians, and Luque headed against the post from Fran's cross. Then with seven minutes to go Fran picked up a pass from Valerón and cut inside, his right foot shot deflecting off Gurrutxaga and entering the net.

That set up a frantic last few minutes, with Nihat close to equalising when he ran through the defence but was unable to get any pace behind his shot. Soon afterwards Westerveld stood up to Valerón to prevent him scoring, the Spanish international midfielder slow to capitalise as well on the rebound. Denoueix in explicably made a triple substitution in the last minute of ordinary time, something he should have done some time before if he was serious about winning or even drawing the game, but there was no time left. The win was enough to give Depor the three points, taking them above their opponents on goal difference. Both are still six points behind the leaders though.