Deportivo La Coruña 3 - Sevilla 1

Deportivo: Molina; Scaloni, César, Naybet, Capdevila; Sergio, Mauro Silva; Víctor, Valerón (Luque 75'), Fran (Amavisca 73'); Makaay (Manuel Pablo 85'). 4-2-3-1.
Sevilla: Notario; Njegus, Javi Navarro, Pablo Alfaro, David; Casquero, Torrado (Daniel Alves 71'); Gallardo (Marcos Vales 62'), Víctor Salas, Fredi; Machlas (Antoñito 46'). 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Deportivo: Molina, César, Capdevila, Víctor for Juanmi, Manuel Pablo, Héctor, Romero / Sevilla: Gallardo, Víctor Salas, Machlas for Marcos Vales, Reyes, Antoñito.

Goals:
1-0. 40. Víctor. Tap in on far post after Makaay run down left wing and cross in.
2-0. 45. Makaay (penalty). After Njegus high kick caught Capdevila in face.
2-1. 51. Antoñito. Drilled ball past keeper on far post after Fredi cross from left.
3-1. 70. Makaay. Ran on to pass from midfield to shoot low across keeper.

Deportivo moved to within a point of leaders Real Madrid after beating an improving Sevilla side 3- 1, thanks mainly to another key performance from Roy Makaay. They didn't start of so well though, and the visitors could have scored first through Machlas, who was making his first start for his club after scoring two goals the week before. The Greek striker brought a good save out of Molina early on, and a few minutes later put an easy chance over the bar with only the keeper to beat.

It was to prove a costly mistake, as five minutes before the break Makaay made himself space down the left wing to cross in for Víctor to score the opening goal. Then on the stroke of half time referee Iturralde González ruled that a high kick by Njegus on Capdevila merited a penalty, and the Dutch striker stroked home the spot kick for his side's second goal of the game.

Caparrós introduced Antoñito for Machlas at the break though, and the home grown striker revolusionized the game, having a goal disallowed before scoring on the far post after Fredi played the ball across from the left. A minute or so later he came close to equalising when he hit the inside of the far post, but soon afterwards the visitors were reduced to ten men when David cut out a dangerous pass with his hands, and not long afterwards Makaay ran on to Valerón's through ball to wrap things up.

It was the Dutch striker's twenty-fourth in the league, making him Europe's joint top goalscorer together with Inter Milan's Cristian Vieri. Depor are back in the title race, although they drop to third after Real Sociedad's big win gave them a better goal average. Sevilla hold on to sixth place thanks to poor results from the sides just below them, but with Njegus and Javi Navarro picking up fifth yellow cards of the season they will be missing three of their back four for their next game against Real Madrid.