The stars laid out their wares in the semi-finals of the cup midweek, proving once again that the top players have a habit of appearing when they are needed. Diego Tristán was in the right place at the right time and did the right thing, scoring Depor's only goal at Figueres with a deft touch which only the most gifted strikers can get away with. Zidane popped up early in Real Madrid's match at Bilbao to give his side a vital away goal, his eighth of the season, taking him in to our chart for the first time. However Spanish internationals Etxeberria and Urzaiz got two back for the home side to set up an exciting second leg next Thursday.

Catanha stays at the top of the league Pichichis with eleven goals despite not scoring, but he is now closely persued by four players who are only one behind him. They include Luque, who got his fifth in consecutive games to equal a club record which has stood for over 30 years, and Moisés, who scored two in Sevilla's comfortable win over Espanyol, plus Raúl and Urzaiz who didn't add to their tallies at the weekend. Catanha's team mates Mostovoi and Edu did the scoring this week, Mostovoi getting the first two and Edu adding the third, and both move up to ten in all competitions.

A word too for two players who scored twice each this weekend, Milosevic and Losada. The Yugoslavian striker returned to Zaragoza on loan to the end of the season with immediate effect, helping his side to a much needed win with a brace on his debut. Losada has revolutionized Mallorca since his move from Oviedo, and he got his third in two games to put his injury problems behind him. Finally Pizzi also got his first goal for his new club (ignoring his own goal last week), and he did it against his old side Tenerife. The big money investments are starting to pay off. (28.01.02)