Valencia 2 - Zaragoza 1

Valencia: Cañizares; Anglomá, Djukic, Pellegrino, Carboni; Mendieta, Gerard, Farinós (Gerardo 91'), Kily González (Albelda 85'); Juan Sánchez (Ilie 46'); Piojo López. 4-4-2.
Zaragoza: Juanmi; Pablo (Yordi 78'), Paco, Lanna, Sundgren; Acuña, Aragón (José Ignacio 67'); Juanele (Solana 65'), Marcos Vales, Vellisca; Milosevic. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Valencia: Juan Sánchez for Angulo / Zaragoza: Pablo, Sundgren, Aragón, Vellisca for Cuartero, Aguado, Radimov, Garitano.

Goals:
0-1. 05. Milosevic. Controlled pass in middle of penalty area and shot.
1-1. 60. Pellegrino. Shot through crowded goal and Sundgren turned in to own net.
2-1. 70. Piojo. On the rebound after Kily's shot blocked on line by Sundgren.

Valencia assured themselves a place in next season's Champions League after coming back from behind to beat rivals Zaragoza and move up to third in the league. Valencia play in the final of this year's competition in four days time, but they wanted to be sure of classifying for the next one without having to count on winning Wednesday night's game. With the most important game in the club's history coming up, Valencia's manager Héctor Cúper would have been excused had he played eleven reserves for this match. However that is not Cúper's style, and once again he put out an almost full strength team. In fact the only change from his current first choice team was in attack, with Juan Sánchez partnering Piojo López up front in place of Angulo, who was nursing an injury. There were no changes either in defence, despite rumours that Cúper would try out different combinations at left back with Carboni unavailable for the Champions League final through suspension. Carboni's absence is likely to be a problem for them on Wednesday, with the inexperienced Gerardo the only natural full back available. Zaragoza came in to this match with an outside chance of winning their first ever championship, although they would have had to win, Deportivo lose and Barcelona at best draw. Their manager Txetxu Rojo was in charge for the last time, having announced he would be leaving, but the final destination being a more closely guarded secret than Fatima's third (well actually it will be Athletic Bilbao, but he hasn't confirmed so as yet). With captain Aguado injured, Rojo brought in Sundgren in defence, with Pablo finally returning from injury at right back. Vellisca replaced the suspended Garitano, with Aragón preferred to Radimov in midfield. After Kily González almost caught Juanmi by surprise, Milosevic gave the visitors the lead with his first touch of the match, the Yugoslavian striker controlling the ball and holding off Pellegrino before placing his shot past Cañizares. Having gone almost half the season without scoring this was his second goal in two games, and his return to form could have come just in time to reawaken the interest of Roma, who were rumoured to have deposited the 4,000 million Peseta buy out clause in a Spanish bank after he scored a goal a game in the first half of the year. Valencia's fans were silenced for a moment, but seeing that Alavés had gone behind at Bilbao (Valencia supposedly offered 80 million Pesetas to the Bilbao players for them to win), they urged on their team. Paco and Juanmi blocked shots from Juan Sánchez, and a Kily header went just over the bar as Zaragoza retreated. At half time Cúper brought on Ilie for Sánchez, 'the Cobra' coming back in the reckoning for an appearance in Paris after a long lay off, and Valencia kept up the pressure. It was only a matter of time, and Pellegrino made up for his defensive error with the equalising goal, Sundgren trying without success to steer the Argentinian defender's shot wide, but only succeeding in helping it into the net. It still wasn't enough to take them in to the Champions League spots, especially as Alavés were by then drawing, but up popped Claudio 'el Piojo' López, playing his last match at Valencia, to make his final contribution to their league fortunes. Kily volleyed in a shot from the left, Sundgren cleared off the line, and with lightening reactions Piojo fired it back into the goal. That took them over Zaragoza to third their highest league place all season, and with Alavés falling behind again, their position seemed safe. Txetxu Rojo prepared Yordi for a substitution, but as the young striker stepped on to the pitch, the linesman signalled that he had come on before Pablo had left the field. That earned him a yellow card, and when he put in a hard tackle on Angloma five minutes later, referee Medina Cantalejo showed him another yellow and sent him off. Rojo, in a nervous mood all night, was livid at the referee who by that stage had produced no less than eight yellow cards and a red to his players as against one yellow for the home side, and Medina responded by showing Rojo a second yellow and sending him off as well. The match finished a couple of minutes later, and Rojo, club president Solans and some of their players were waiting for the official in the tunnel. There was a strong interchange of words, and Medina claimed (in his official report) that he had been pushed and gravely insulted by the Zaragoza manager. Rojo said afterwards that the referee had blown up the incident out of all proportions and that he never touched him, but if the disciplinary committee supports the referee, Rojo could have a ban for anything from 6 to 15 games. Given that he will be starting at Bilbao soon, it remains to be seen what their reaction would be to having their new manager out for almost a third of the season, and all eyes are on the midweek meeting. Zaragoza finish the season in fourth place, and having been in a Champions League place for 29 weeks in a row, they must now hope that Valencia beat Real Madrid in the final on Wednesday. If not, and with UEFA limiting the number of teams from one country to four and the champions automatically qualifying, Real Madrid could displace Zaragoza in next year's edition. That would mean that the Aragón side would play the UEFA cup. On current form Valencia are favourites, having won six of their last league matches and drawn the other, but Madrid won the cup two years ago and have more experience. Another problem could be a late injury to Kily, their most on form player, and he and Angloma will be wrapped in cotton wool for the next few days to ensure they make it to Paris.

Real Madrid 0 - Valladolid 1

Real Madrid: Casillas; Michel Salgado (Morientes 46'), Iván Campo, Karanka, Roberto Carlos; McManaman, Redondo, Iván Helguera, Savio (Baljic 56'); Raúl, Anelka (Hierro 70'). 4-4-2.
Valladolid: Ricardo; Torres Gómez, Santamaría, Turiel, Marcos; Márquez, Peña, Vizcaino (Caminero 65'), Eusebio; Shoji Jo (Isailovic 73'), Víctor. 4-4-2.

Team changes: Madrid: Salgado for Geremi / Valladolid: Ricardo, Turiel, Márquez, Vizcaino, Eusebio for César, Heinze, Caminero, García Calvo, Rodrigo.

Goals:
0-1. 22. Víctor. Took long pass from Eusebio and shot over Casillas into net.

Real Madrid's possibilities of playing the Champions League next season took a turn for the worse after they lost at home for the third match in a row. The result leaves them down in fifth place, and they now have to win this year's final on Wednesday night to be in the competition next year, otherwise they will have to make do with the UEFA cup. To add to their troubles, club captain Fernando Hierro, who came on as substitute in this match after a long time out, ruled himself out of the final after suffering a recurrence of his knee injury, and attacking midfielder Savio also picked up an injury to his left knee and is doubtful for the match against Valencia. Michel Salgado and Anelka also suffered from knocks and were substituted during the game, although both are expected to be fit. Manager Vicente Del Bosque decided to play with his best available side, with Salgado coming in for Geremi at right back. Morientes howeverwas not fully fit, and Del Bosque's original idea to play his 'trident' of Raúl, Anelka and Morientes fell through, with Savio keeping his place on the left of midfield and Morientes on the bench. Valladolid manager Gregorio Manzano was forced to make five changes, with Rodrigo and Heinze suspended and García Calvo and Alberto injured, and Caminero not fully fit. There was also a change in goal, with reserve keeper Ricardo (formerly with Atlético Madrid) coming in for César, who will be joining Real Madrid next season, and who decided on the advice of his manager not to play in this game. As it was, Ricardo was the man of the match, and although a new keeper, Albacete's Julio Iglesias (not the singer of course, although he did play for Real Madrid B many years ago) has been signed, Ricardo staked his claim for the jersey next season as he helped his team to rise to eighth in the league. He saved efforts from Anelka, Roberto Carlos and Savio in the first half, and another shot from Anelka brushed the post. It was the visiting side who took the lead however in their first real attack, with Eusebio putting through a superb long pass from his own half which put Víctor past the offside trap and away. Manzano had told him not to try to lob Casillas as the young keeper stops everything, but Víctor saw an opening and struck a looping shot way over his head and down into the far side of the net. It was a killer blow and left Madrid reeling, especially as with Celta, Zaragoza and Bilbao winning against Barcelona, Valencia and Alavés at that time, they could have been up to third if they could have taken the lead. At half time Del Bosque risked putting on Morientes for the limping Salgado, and within three minutes Ricardo was diving at his feet. Madrid moved up a gear, but Ricardo was a wall, stopping further shots from Morientes and Roberto Carlos, and the Brazilian full back thundered a free kick against the cross bar with Ricardo finally beaten. The injuries were taking their toll, and the entry of Baljic and Hierro forced Del Bosque to change his formation around. Hierro did not look comfortable, but he did manage to force another good save out the visiting keeper five minutes from the end. In the last few minutes Madrid seemed to have given up, and Isailovic could have increased Valladolid's lead, but he put his shot wide. The home fans booed their players as they left the field dejected, but they have to pick themselves up for Wednesday's match. Del Bosque has apparently been confirmed as manager for next season, but his future surely depends on whether they win that game or not. Even if they do president Lorenzo Sanz may decide to bring in a man with more charisma. Del Bosque is a good technical man, respected by the players, but he is introverted and does not handle all aspects of the game with confidence. Celta's Víctor Fernández has already been linked with the position, and his success at Zaragoza and Celta has been impressive in his relatively short career. If a replacement does come in, (and remember Heynckes was fired after winning the Champions League two years ago) Del Bosque will probably move back to the technical staff, a good man to have in reserve for an emergency.