With the top three all playing on Sunday, Alavés took advantage to move up to second place after coming from behind to beat Xerez 1-2. The home side got off to a fast start, and within a quarter of an hour they were ahead when Cachorro got on the end of Del Pino's cross to head past Gaspercic. But fifteen minutes later De Lucas got between a hesitant defence to steer a header into the empty net and level the match. Both sides pulled back after the break and seemed to have settled for a draw before Rubén Navarro surprised Doblas with a free kick four minutes from the end. The visitors ended the match with ten men after Galván picked up a second booking in injury time, but they had done enough to move a point ahead of Sporting and Levante, for 24 hours at least.

Recreativo kept their faint hopes of promotion alive with a 0-4 win over struggling Las Palmas, who find themselves in next to bottom place, four points adrift of safety as a result. Both sides could have scored in the first half, but Raúl Molina came closest when he headed against the post just before the break. Molina it was though who opened the scoring from the penalty spot after Uche was brought down by Alex on the hour mark, and that opened the way to two more goals in the next two minutes. Oscar Arpón combined with Uche to get the second and Molina rounded the keeper for the third, and with the game coming to an end substitute Toedtli rounded off the scoreline, again after good work by Raúl Molina.

Meanwhile Las Palmas's neighbours Tenerife kept themselves just above the danger zone after drawing 0-0 at Leganés. The Canary Islanders started the day a point above their opponents, and both sides were reluctant to risk anything with a defeat almost sure to send the losers down into the bottom four. Keepers Raúl and Encke had little work to do, although the locals went close before the break when Arrúe hit the bar, and Keko had a couple of late chances to give the visitors what would have been their first away win of the season.

Scandalous scenes at Vallecas, where referee Rodado Rodríguez caused a near riot with some atrocious decisions as Rayo Vallecano and Almería drew 1-1. The official benefited the home side at first, disallowing a goal from a Galca free kick early on which would have equalised Bolo's eleventh minute goal, and then sent off three players after the break, Iriney for the locals and then Benítez and Pignol for the visitors. The ground erupted though when Rodado awarded a more than dubious free kick to the visitors deep into injury time, and Sahnoun fired a shot past Segura to save a point. Rayo stay in the relegation spots, with their opponents only a point above them in seventeenth place.

Ciudad Murcia are not out of the relegation struggle yet, and they threw away a two goal lead to end up drawing 2-2 against Cádiz. The East coast side took the lead seventeen minutes in to the match, Güiza finishing off a quick passing move with Camuñas, and the striker got his second of the night with half an hour on the clock after Navas dropped the ball at his feet trying to clear, visiting manager José González getting himself sent off for protesting a possible obstruction on his keeper. Iban Espadas headed one back though on the hour mark, and Enrique made it all square after a defensive error in the last minute, a result which cost the job of local coach Juan José Enriquez, who was fired two days later.

Sporting Gijón dropped out of the top three after they lost 2-1 to Elche on Sunday lunchtime. The Asturians fell behind in the fifth minute when Moisés got on the end of García Granero's cross, and although Ismael hit the bar for Marcelino's side later on, a second yellow card for Samuel three minutes before the interval left them with ten men for all the second half. Even so Sporting continued to dominate, Jeffrey shooting over the bar before Nino got a second goal for the locals against the run of play. Bilic pulled one back from the penalty spot soon afterwards after Benja handled in the area, but they could do no more and an overzealous referee sent off Elche's Dani Tortolero and and Gijón's Jeffrey in the closing minutes.

Only four points separate the top four sides at the end of the weekend after leaders Numancia fell to a 2-3 defeat at the hands of Eibar. The Soria based side had gone nine games without defeat, but they found themselves behind in the fifth minute when Brit forced the ball past Luis García from a possible offside position. Pineda equalised before the interval and Fagiani put the locals ahead soon after the restart with a long free kick, but the referee awarded a dubious penalty to the visitors on the hour mark after Gaizka Saizar fell under Fagiani's challenge, and the striker himself converted the kick. And three minutes later Brit got his second of the night with a shot from outside of the area to take the three points for the Basque side.

Levante took advantage of Numancia's slip up to move to within a point of them after beating bottom club Algeciras 3-1. The hero of the night was their centre forward Reggi, who scored all three of the goals for the Valencia based side. The Argentine striker started things off on the half hour mark heading home Descarga's cross, but Armentano levelled the scores before the break with a low shot past Mora, Alexis headed against the post for the hosts though immediately after the restart, and Reggi got his second of the night after good work from Ettien, who had only just come on as substitute. The goal left the Andalucians down and out, and Reggi completed his hat-trick from Sandro's pass a few minutes later.

Other than Algeciras and possibly Las Palmas the bottom spots are very tight, and there are only three points between twentieth placed Rayo Vallecano and fourteenth placed Córdoba, who lost 3-0 at Salamanca. Raúl Sánchez got two of the goals for the home side taking him to the top of the Pichichi table, the first coming from the penalty spot close to half time after he himself was brought down by Juanmi. Up to that point the visitors had been the better side, but following the goal they disappeared from sight and Tuni set up Sánchez for a second with just under an hour gone before scoring the last himself twenty minutes later.

Málaga B moved to within a point of safety after they defeated Terrassa 0-1 on Sunday evening. After an eventless first half the visitors were awarded a penalty when Monty brought down Juanma, but keeper Morales saved the spot kick from Juan Rodríguez. Maikel hit the post twice for the Catalans as they pushed forward, but Morales had to be at his best as the visitors counter-attacked, and with five minutes to go Juanma finally beat the keeper on another breakaway.

Poli Ejido moved two points clear of the bottom four with a 0-0 draw against Getafe, who lose ground on the leaders as a result. It was a hot night in Almería, but the locals got off to the best start and only some good goalkeeping by Sergio Sánchez kept out Angel Rodríguez, David Prats, Sabino and Agostinho early on. But the locals gradually ran out of steam, and there were few chances for either side after the break as the game gradually ground to a halt. (25.04.04)