The return to club action after a two week lay-off for international games was disappointing, with only 15 goals in the 10 matches, the second lowest number of the season. Of the top ten strikers, only Nihat added to his total, and he was on the losing side against Deportivo. Things might have been different though if Kovacevic had not hit the bar with his penalty kick. Real Madrid's super-sub Portillo came on to score a winning goal once again, this time against neighbours Rayo, but he was overshadowed for once by the forgotten man Morientes, who celebrated his 27th birthday by scoring his first two league goals of the season after replacing Ronaldo for the last five minutes of the game. One man who left Real Madrid to make a name for himself was Fernando, and he got his eleventh of the season for Betis in their win over Valencia. Recreativo's Raúl Molina joins him after his goal helped the Huelva based side off the bottom of the table for the first time in four months. (08.04.03)