Albacete 3 - Real Sociedad 1

Albacete: Roa; Oscar Montiel, Pablo, Unai (David Sánchez 44'), Peña; Lawal, Parri, Viaud, Delporte; Pacheco (Basti 81'), Amato (Aranda 60'). 4-4-2.
Real Sociedad: Westerveld; López Rekarte, Kvarme, Schürrer, Aranzábal; Xabi Alonso, Aranburu (De Paula 71'); Karpin, Nihat, De Pedro (Gabilondo 78'); Kovacevic. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Albacete: Amato for Mikel / Real: Kvarme, Aranburu for Jauregi, Alkiza.

Goals:
1-0. 67. Deporte. Angled header into net on near post following Parri corner.
1-1. 72. Nihat. Ran on to crash shot into roof of net after Kovacevic headed back.
2-1. 75. David Sánchez. Ran through from midfield and chipped keeper.
3-1. 79. Aranda. Lifted ball over keeper and followed up to score.

Real Sociedad were surprisingly beaten 3-1 by struggling Albacete, and lose ground on the top spots. Despite a difficult Champions League game coming up on Tuesday against Juventus, Denoueix put out what was virtually his full strength side, and Nihat proved he was back to form with a couple of shots just wide in the first half. The locals were looking good too though, and Pacheco and Amato could both have opened the scoring if they had been a little quicker on the uptake.

The best action though came in the last quarter of the game, with the locals opening the scoring when Delporte got ahead of the defence to head Parri's corner in on the near post. Nihat crashed a shot past Roa five minutes later after Kovacevic headed back a long cross, but almost immediately half time substitute David Sánchez (on loan from Barcelona) ran through to catch Westerveld off his line with a clever lob to put the home side back in front.

Within minutes Xabi Alonso hit the post with a free kick at the other end, but debutant Aranda made it three for the locals when he lifted a shot over the advancing Westerveld, getting to the rebound off the bar before Kvarme to force the ball into the net. That sank the visitors, and Lawal could have got another for Albacete when he hit the woodwork late on. It was a great night for them though, and they climb marginally out of the bottom three as a result.