Las Palmas beat their Canary Island neighbours Tenerife 1-0 to move up to sixth place in the league pending Sunday's games. Both teams have been struggling recently, and the visitors turned up under the control of new manager David Amaral, who took over when Ewald Lienen was fired earlier in the week. The local side were on top at first, but their keeper Bo Andersen had to make vital saves either side of half time to keep the scores level. However the referee awarded a penalty when Tenerife keeper Valerio brought down Reggi in the area midway through the second half, and Pedro Vega tucked away the kick to give his side the win. Not without a late scare though, as Bruno Marioni (back in the Tenerife squad after his false passport ban was put on hold) headed over the bar in injury time with the goal at his mercy. (25.01.03)

Zaragoza lost top spot in the table after they were held to a 0-0 draw by Poli Ejido at midday on Sunday. Injuries to Yordi and Drulic left Paco Flores' side without a recognised centre forward, and Galletti and Juanele played together up front. Galletti it was who saw his shot late in the first half cleared off the line by Arturo, and he had another effort saved by Kike immediately after the restart. However the visitors came closer to taking the lead before the break, and only saves by Lainez from José and then Sabino kept the scores level. This was Zaragoza's fourth draw in a row, and although their promotion challenge is still on track, they need to start winning again to keep up the momentum. Ejido are currently ninth, now six points away from the promotion spots.

Getafe's new manager Pepe Mel started off with a victory, his side beating Salamanca 1-0 in a match which kicked off on Sunday morning. It was the Madrid based side's first win in seven games, and takes them out of the bottom four and up to fifteenth place. The crowd put up posters in favour of Mel's predecessor Felines, sacked during the week, and the new manager only made a couple of changes from his last side. Copito came in up front but wasted two chances in the first half, and the visitors thought they had taken the lead when Raúl netted with a quarter of an hour to go. However the referee disallowed the goal for offside, and two minutes later Alberto headed the winner, the first goal Salamanca had let in for eight games. Their last five matches had ended scoreless though, and they drop to eleventh in the table. Getafe's Txema was sent off in the last minute.

The league's most on-form side Murcia are the new leaders after defeating Racing Ferrol 0-3 on Sunday evening. David Vidal's side followed up their cup success by extending their unbeaten league run to eight games, and must now be considered serious candidates for promotion despite their low budget and lack of big names. Despite playing against a team previously unbeaten at home this season, Murcia dominated most of the match and took the lead in the third minute through Richi. David Karanka set up Ismael for a second goal later in the half, and after the local's new signing Chispa Delgado had shot straight at Reinke when free in front of goal, Jaime rounded things off beating Bello Amigo from the edge of the area. Murcia go back home to receive the visit of Deportivo in the second leg of their cup quarter final next Thursday.

Levante cling on to third place despite losing 3-1 to struggling Compostela. The Valencia based side were outclassed by the Gallicians, who took the lead with two goals from Cabarcos midway through the first half, the first from Juanito's cross and the second after Maikel set him up. Maikel added a third himself after the break, and Félix headed a late consolation goal from a Limones corner near the end. The win extends Compostela's unbeaten run to six games, all the more meritorious given that the players have not been paid since the start of the season.

An injury time headed goal from Olivares saved a point for Almería and cost Albacete a place in the top three. The home side came close to scoring in the first half when Bilic hit the post with a free kick, but the visitors took the lead ten minutes from the end when Jesús Perera got on the end of Mikel's cross. Mikel and Duré both missed chances to increase the lead, but with the game coming to an end Olivares headed home a Cervián free kick to make it 1-1 in the end. Albacete stay in fourth place, a point behind Levante.

Xerez moved back up to fifth place, three points behind Albacete, after winning 0-1 at Badajoz. Bernd Schuster's side took the lead in the first half from a controversial penalty after referee Clos Gómez ruled that Vicente had brought down Rubiales, the home side players protesting that the foul was outside of the area. Calle scored from the spot, and had another opportunity to do so midway through the second half when Leandro got himself sent off for stopping the ball with his hand on the goal line. However this time the striker put his penalty kick wide. Badajoz were left with nine men soon afterwards when Miguel Alfonso picked up a second booking, and Xerez closed up shop to record their first win in eight games. With teams around them winning, Badajoz drop into the relegation zone.

It was another low scoring weekend in the second division, with only 15 goals scored in the eleven games. Terrassa and Sporting Gijon cancelled each other out in a 0-0 draw, and both join the group of five teams on 27 points, six below the promotion spots. The best chance of the game fell to Sporting's David Villa early on when he was brought down in the penalty area by Rubén, but he missed his kick and the scoreline didn't move after that, thanks in part to good goalkeeping from Morales in the home goal and more so to Valencia for the visitors.

Elche lost their first away game of the season and missed out on an opportunity to close in on the leaders. A goal by substitute Rosu twenty minutes from the end was enough to give their opponents Numancia a first home win in two months to take them out of the relegation zone on goal difference. Elche stay in sixth place though, but with the league table once again closely fought, they are only five points above Badajoz in twentieth position.

Eibar dropped into the bottom four after they were defeated 0-1 by Leganés, who themselves took their unbeaten run under new manager Enrique Martín to nine games. The only goal of the game came on the quarter hour mark when Villa got between two defenders to head Fede Marín's cross past Asier Riesgo. Both sides had chances after that, but the Madrid based side held on to move up to mid-table. Eibar have only won once now in their last seven games.

Oviedo won the battle of the two bottom clubs after beating Córdoba 1-0, their first win in the Nuevo Tartiere stadium in ten months. The Asturians were in control throughout the game, hitting the woodwork twice in each half, but only managed to beat keeper Jauregui after the break when Geni's shot was finished off on (or over) the goal line by Rubén. Winter signing Moisés went closest for the visitors, but they ended up at the bottom of the table and new manager Zambrano, who took over from Ortuondo midweek, will have his work cut out to save them. (26.01.03)