A goal of Joan Capdevila in the final minutes of the first half gave Deportivo a much needed win in Riazor against bottom-club Murcia. Irureta left out most of his best players while Pablo Amo finally made his Liga debut at Deportivo. And the restyled Galician team had no problems with Murcia. As the visitors rarely threatened Molina, the three points mean that (after the 4-2 loss of Real Madrid at Bilbao) there are small hopes again of reaching the top spots in the Primera Division. BEFORE THE MATCH There were not much expectations about this match because both coaches, Irureta and Toshack, had announced that they would make several changes to their normal teams. Murcia already had given up hopes of surviving in the Primera Divison and used several youth players, while Deportivo rested players like Naybet, Romero, Lionel Scaloni, Mauro Silva, Valeron and Pandiani. Nevertheless, the home team were given an additional boost because in the first half the 4-2 defeat of Real Madrid at Athletic de Bilbao was known. FIRST HALF After three minutes Deportivo had their first opportunity when Capdevila launched a short from outside the area which hit the post and Tristan saw a goal been ruled out. But the home team rarely looked a furious team desperate to achieve a home win, and soon it was clear that some sort of individual action would have to decide the match. After 38 minutes there was another good opportunity when Fran had a shot from eleven meters but missed the target. Nevertheless, four minutes before the break the home team took the lead. It was a corner from Fran which fell to the feet of Capdevila. The Catalan defender didn’t hesitate and put the 1-0 score on the board. SECOND HALF During the break Luque was replaced by Munitis and after fifteen minutes into the second half Djalminha took the place of Fran. Without doubts about the qualities of the incoming players, it was also an indication that Deportivo didn’t fear Murcia and trusted upon taking the lead until the end of the match. The first moments after the break were the most lively ones of the match when Duscher hit the woodwork with a sensational effort. Murcia also had something in mind when Gancedo found Molina on his way. But soon the rhythm of the match fell down again. Deportivo had their mind set on the Champions League match against Milan while Murcia seemed to accept a minimal defeat in Riazor. AFTER THE MATCH A 1-0 home win although the match won’t enter into the history as a remarkable one. Deportivo did just enough to keep the three points at home and now have all other top teams (Real Madrid, Valencia and Barcelona) within a range of eighth points while Madrid will still have to visit Riazor. Another positive thing was the Liga debut of Pablo Amo, who did a good job last night. Capdevila only seems to score important goals, as he did before in the matches against Real Sociedad (2-1) and Malaga (1—0). --

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