First Division - Day 29

Racing Santander 4 - Celta Vigo 4

Racing: Ricardo; Cristian Alvarez, Pablo Casar, Juanma, Ayoze; Diego Mateo (Matabuena 51'), Nafti (Jonathan 78'); Morán, Benayoun (Bodipo 64'), Regueiro; Javi Guerrero. 4-2-3-1.
Celta: Cavallero; Velasco, Berizzo, Cáceres, Iago Bouzón (Angel 46'); José Ignacio, Giovanella (Borja Oubiña 58'); Jesuli (Mostovoi 13'), Ilic, Gustavo López; Milosevic. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Racing: No change / Celta: Cáceres, Iago Bouzón, Giovanella, Jesuli for Sergio, Israel, Angel, Edu.

Goals:
1-0. 17. Cristian Alvarez (penalty). After Bouzón held on to Regueiro in area..
1-1. 28. Milosevic. Picked up Gustavo López pass and turned Casar to score.
2-1. 38. Javi Guerrero. Picked up rebound off Cáceres and scored from wide angle.
2-2. 46. Mostovoi. First time volley on far post from Gustavo López cross.
2-3. 61. Mostovoi. Got on the end of Angel's cross to turn ball past Ricardo.
2-4. 72. Milosevic (penalty). After Pablo Casar ruled to have handled in area.
3-4. 82. Cristian Alvarez (penalty). After Angel ruled to have handled in area.
4-4. 86. Javi Guerrero. header from close up into roof of net from Bodipo's cross.

An extraordinary game at Racing Santander, where the home side drew 4-4 with Celta. Referee Megia Dávila was at the forefront of proceedings, awarding four penalties, two of which for the home side had to be retaken for encroachment of players, and sending off Regueiro before half time and Velasco in the second half both for second bookable offences.

Celta boss Radomir Antic was having problems finding eleven fit players, and he drafted in under 21 international Iago Bouzón for his first start at left back. His worries increased though when Jesuli limped off, and then Bouzón gave away a simple penalty which Alvarez stuck away at the first and second attempt.

Milosevic levelled the scores a few minutes later from a Gustavo López pass, but although Regueiro got his marching orders, the Cantabrians restored the lead before the break when Javi Guerrero won the ball back off Cáceres to score.

Celta seemed to have turned the game around though after the break, substitute Mostovoi scoring twice and then Milosevic getting another from the penalty spot after Megia ruled that Pablo Casar had handled the ball illegally, the defender feeling himself unlucky as the ball struck his arm which was tight against his side.

But numbers were evened up when Velasco also got a second booking, and Megia gave another penalty for handball, this time against Angel who had his back turned when the ball hit him on the arm. Again Alvarez scored with both penalty attempts, and Racing pushed forward for an equaliser which they got four minutes from the end when Javi Guerrero headed past Cavallero.

Still it was not over, and Megia awarded a fourth penalty when Matabuena pushed over Angel. However Milosevic blasted his shot over the bar, and a few seconds later it was all over. The draw leaves Celta four points adrift in the relegation spots, and every week it is looking less likely they will escape.

As a post script to this strange match, Racing made a formal protest to the Football Federation that "something very serious had happened before the game", suggesting a possible attempt to bribe players or officials to throw the match. At the time of writing this report though it seems that it was only a bad joke from Atlético Madrid's mad goalkeeper Mono Burgos, who apparently called Regueiro and made some improper suggestions which seem to have been taken the wrong way by the Uruguayan forward. The Federation will in any case be investigating the matter further.