Betis 2 - Deportivo La Coruña 0

Betis: Doblas; Melli, Lembo, Rivas, Luis Fernández; Cañas (Benjamín 55'), Marcos Assunçao, Arzu; Joaquín (Denilson 79'), Edu; Oliveira (Israel 87'). 4-3-2-1.
Deportivo: Munúa; Manuel Pablo (Víctor 58'), Andrade, Pablo Amo (Mauro Silva 87'), Capdevila; Sergio, Duscher (Munitis 67'); Scaloni, Valerón, Luque; Diego Tristán. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Betis: Melli, Rivas for Juanito, Fernando / Deportivo: Pablo Amo, Capdevila for Coloccini, Romero.

Goals:
1-0. 38. Assunçao. Picked up throw in and ran on to shoot in off crossbar.
2-0. 56. Assunçao. Free kick from wide on left with curled in on near post.

Betis joined their city neighbours Sevilla in the Champions' League spots after beating Deportivo La Coruña 2-0, their eighth home win in a row. Both sides had their chances early on, with Doblas saving from Scaloni in the twelfth minute and Rivas replying with a header over the bar. Munúa turned an effort from Marcos Assunçao away for a corner later on in the first half, but he could do nothing a few minutes later when the Brazilian midfielder picked up a short throw in and ran on to fire a shot over the keeper into the top of the net.

Ten minutes after the restart Assunçao got his second of the night and his fifth in as many games, his curling free kick from wide on the left catching out Munúa, who was expecting a cross. And he could have completed his hat-trick soon afterwards with another effort which hit the crossbar. Depor tried to fight back, Doblas saving well from Sergio and Diego Tristán and Scaloni shooting over the bar. But this time it was not to be and the Galicians fell to their first defeat in the Ruiz de Lopera stadium since the 1997/8 season. Betis were up to a heady third, above their city rivals on goal difference, and to add to the fans' delight Denilson came on near the end for his first appearance in nine months.