Valencia (1) 0 - Inter Milan (1) 1

Valencia: Cañizares; Curro Torres, Ayala (Djukic 15'), Pellegrino, Fabio Aurelio; Albelda (Mista 72'), De los Santos (Baraja 46'); Rufete, Aimar, Vicente; Carew. 4-2-3-1.
Inter: Toldo; Zanetti, Córdoba, Materazzi, Gresko; Sergio Conceiçao (Seedorf 57'), Farinós, Di Baggio, Guly (Simic 75'); Kallon, Ventola (Dalmat 64'). 4-4-2.

Goals:
0-1. 02. Ventola. Took pass from Kallon and ran on to chip over Cañizares.

Valencia were knocked out of the UEFA cup after losing by a single goal to Inter Milan. With a hard fought 1-1 draw under their belts from the first leg in Italy, and an unbeaten home record in Europe that stretches to 33 games and almost ten years, Valencia were favourites to go through. However they were up against a master tactician in Héctor Cúper, the man who took them to two Champions League finals, and they were unable to break down his defensive web. Inter took the lead with the game only just under way, Ventola running on to Kallon's pass to chip over the advancing Cañizares in the second minute. From then on the visitors gave up any pretext of attack, pulling at times eight or nine men back to help out a magnificent Toldo. Carew shot just wide on a couple of occasions before the break, and only frantic defending stopped the Spaniards from levelling the scores in the second half. The best chances fell on the hour mark when Toldo made two match winning saves, first from Rufete and then from Vicente, who was replacing the suspended Kily González, and incredibly nobody was able to get the ball in the net on the rebound. Carew was booked for diving in the penalty area when Gresko appeared to bundle him over, and the players' nerves were evident as Rufete remonstrated with the referee.

As they took more and more chances they were leaving themselves open at the back though, and ex Real Madrid midfielder Seedorf almost took advantage to score, Cañizares standing his ground well to block his shot as he charged on goal. Benítez had already made two early substitutions, with Djukic replacing the injured Ayala in the first fifteen minutes and Baraja coming on for De los Santos at the break, and he used up his third and final change bringing on an additional attacker Mista for midfielder Albelda. The introduction of the young forward increased the frenzy of the attack, and after bringing another first class save out of Toldo, he managed to force the ball in the net after Rufete touched on Baraja's drive. However French referee Claude Colombo ruled the goal out for offside, provoking a hail of objects from the stand which struck the assistant referee on the back of the head. Toldo blotted his copybook getting himself sent off with a second booking for time wasting with five minutes to go, and with all three changes made ex Valencia midfielder Farinós took over in goal for the Italians. It set up a nail biting end, but Inter hung on to keep up Cúper's incredible record of never having lost a two leg tie in Europe.