Valencia 3 - Besiktas 2

Valencia: Palop; Garrido (Rufete 62'), Ayala, David Navarro, Carboni; Baraja, Sissoko; Angulo, Aimar (Fabio Aurelio 67') , Canobbio (Juan Sánchez 75'); Mista. 4-2-3-1.
Besiktas: Córdoba; Emre Asik, Ronaldo, Yildirim, Tayfur; Yasin Sulun, Sergen Yalcin (Koç 91'), Dobra, Ibrahim; Pancu (Hasan Sas 70'), Ilie (Tumer 81'). 4-4-2.

Goals:
0-1. 17. Pancu. Latched on to Ilie's pass and hit shot across Palop.
1-1. 25. Sissoko. Headed Canobbio's corner kick past Córdoba.
1-2. 39. Pancu. Ran through from own half to fire shot past keeper.
2-2. 43. Canobbio. Volleyed into net after defence failed to clear Garrido cross.
3-2. 94. David Navarro. Headed Fabio Aurelio free kick over keeper.

Valencia left it to the last minute to beat Besiktas in a thrilling match in the Mestalla stadium. With his side fighting for the league title, Rafa Benítez had given a lower priority to the competition, and put out a side containing several reserve players. And it looked as if the move had back-fired when Pancu picked up a long cross from Ex Valencia striker Adrian Ilie and fired a shot across Palop. Sissoko levelled the scores, heading home Canobbio's corner, but Pancu struck again, running through from his own half to shoot under the body of the local keeper.

Córdoba made a couple of excellent saves from Baraja and Mista as the Spaniards pushed forward, and Canobbio made it all square again just before the break with a first time volley after Garrido's cross was cleared up in to the air. Benítez breathed a sigh of relief, but the Turkish side were proving lethal on the break-away, and Palop had to be at his best to save from sergen Yalcin, Pancu and Tayfur after the restart. But with a dangerous draw on the cards, David Navarro rose to head Fabio Aurelio's free kick over Córdoba and give his side a narrow advantage to take to Istanbul next Wednesday.