Valencia 1 - Ajax 1

Valencia: Cañizares; Curro Torres, Ayala, Pellegrino, Carboni (Fabio Aurelio 73'); Albelda (De los Santos 83'), Baraja; Angulo, Mista (Juan Sánchez 66'), Vicente; Carew. 4-2-3-1.
Ajax: Didulica; Trabelsi, Chivu, Bergdolmo, Maxwell; Pienaar (De Jong 70'), Galasek; Van der Vaart, Litmanen (Zlatan 60'), Van der Meyde; Mido (Boukhari 84'). 4-2-3-1.

Goals:
0-1. 88. Zlatan. Ran on to Van der Vaart pass to round Cañizares and score.
1-1. 92. Angulo. Picked up loose ball on edge of area and shot on turn past keeper.

Valencia drew 1-1 with Ronald Koeman's young Ajax side in a game which they should have won but almost ended up losing. Rafa Benítez was missing his first choice attacking midfield, with Rufete, Aimar and now Kily González all picking up serious injuries in the last couple of weeks which are expected to keep all of them out until the new year. The manager was therefore forced to put a similar line up to the one he used in the league against Osasuna rather than give a rest to key players, something he prefers not to do.

The Spaniards dominated their opponents for most of the match, and Carew was presented with a golden opportunity as early as the first minute. The Norwegian striker though incredibly put his shot over the bar, and although there was a question of offside the referee signalled a goal kick. A few minutes later the big man did get a header on target following a corner, but Didulica managed to get one hand to the ball to keep it out. Cañizares was called into action for the first and almost the only time on the quarter hour mark when Van der Meyde's cross reached Litmanen, but the ex Barcelona and Liverpool forward could not put any strength behind his shot and the keeper collected it with ease.

Ten minutes in to the second half, Ajax were let off the hook by French referee Gilles Vessière in an extraordinary incident. Trabelsi brought down Baraja just outside of the penalty box, and the ball rolled to Bergdolmo inside the area. The Norwegian defender thinking that the referee had given a foul, bent down and picked the ball up in his hands stopping the game. The Valencia players immediately surrounded the referee claiming a penalty for hand ball, but the official controversially decided to award the original free kick which he had not given earlier.

After that it was all Valencia, but Didulica was on inspired form and kept out everything that they could throw at him. The Australian keeper patted away a header from Mista that was going in, made an incredible save from Carew a few minutes later, and also kept out efforts from Baraja, substitute Juan Sánchez and Vicente as time ran out. Then just as everyone was expecting a scoreless draw, Ajax broke away and substitute Zlatan rounded keeper Cañizares to score with only their second real shot at goal.

But Valencia didn't give up, and in the second minute of injury time Angulo pounced on a loose ball on the edge of the area to turn and fire a low shot wide of Didulica to save a point, much to the relief of the fans. It was an unexpected turn of events though, and the Spaniards now have a difficult visit in a fortnight's time to Arsenal, who produced another of the surprises of the day by beating Roma away from home.