Pérez Lasa moves to the top of our table without putting on his kit this week after the disciplinary committee dished out yellows to the Celta squad for post-match insults detailed in the referee's report. A quite weekend though this time, with the lowest number of cards of the season to date. Puentes Leira upset Espanyol manager Ramón Moya awarding a dubious penalty by Amaya on Etxeberría, as it appeared that the defender had got to the ball first. The incident cost Moya a red card, and was the turning point of the game as it led to Athletic Bilbao's equaliser.

Two incorrectly disallowed goals hit the headlines this week, both of which influenced the final results of their games. Losantos Omar ruled out a strike by Alfonso for a non-existent offside which would otherwise have been an equalising goal for Betis against Atlético Madrid. There were no further goals, and Atlético won the match to move ahead of Betis in the table. The other was in the "derby" match between Barcelona and Real Madrid, when Gabri was mistakenly ruled offside by referee Medina Cantalejo in the move leading up to Kluivert scoring past Casillas. The incident was overshadowed by events after that which the referee handled well, but some of the disturbing scenes later on may have been avoided if the right decision had been made. Barcelona fans are very sensitive about refereeing mistakes which favour their eternal enemy Real Madrid. (26.11.02)