Valencia 1 - Zaragoza 0

Valencia: Cañizares; Anglomá, Djukic, Ayala, Carboni; Mendieta, (Angulo 77'), Zahovic, Baraja (Deschamps 71'), Kily González; Juan Sánchez (Pellegrino 91'), Carew. 4-4-2.
Zaragoza: Juanmi; Pablo, Paco, Aguado (Sundgren 67'), Rebosio; Acuña, José Ignacio; Juanele (Yordi 73'), Montenegro (Ferrón 73'), Vellisca; Jamelli. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Valencia: Zahovic for Angulo / Zaragoza: José Ignacio, Jamelli for Garitano, Yordi.

Goals:
1-0. 65. Mendieta. Stroked ball past Juanmi after square pass from Carboni.

A goal by Valencia captain Gaizka Mendieta took Valencia to the top of the first division for the first time since October 1993, at the same time condemning their opponents Zaragoza to the bottom spot, also for the first time since the 1990/1 season. Mendieta struck half way through the second half to silence a part of the crowd that had been whistling at him and his players after a disappointing performance up to that point. Zaragoza gave as good as they got in the first half, and if they had been more on target with their efforts they could have been ahead. Juanele, Vellisca and Montenegro pur shots wide, and Cañizares saved twice from Acuña. The frustration of the Valencia players became more evident as the game progressed, with Zahovic in particular kicking out at a goal post after missing two good chances in a row, including a header against the crossbar.

After the goal Zaragoza's caretaker manager Luis Costa brought on three fresh players, Sundgren, Ferrón and Yordi, although he didn't vary his game plan, and Cúper brought on Angulo and Deschamps, the French midifelder making his return after an injury. With a few minutes to go, referee Prados García awarded a penalty to the home side when Juan Sánchez was brought down (somewhat too easily one felt) by Rebosio in the area. With Mendieta already off the field, the league's top scorer took the kick himself, but Juanmi guessed right and saved.

Valencia go on to play Champions League in Athens on Wednesday night, but with classification for the second phase already in the bag, they can afford to rest tired players. Zaragoza are still looking for a new manager, with Luis Fernández continuing to resist attempts to sign him, but more importantly they desperately need a goalscorer, with Costa unsuccessfully trying out Jamelli for this game after disappointments with Yordi and Peternac. The two favourites right now are their ex striker Esnaider, who is unhappy at Juventus, and Bayern Munich's Jancker, and either could join when the transfer window opens again in December. Neither are cheap however, and the club will have to dust off the cheque book and spend some of the money they got for the sale of Milosevic. That is not something the economically minded club president Alfonso Solans is used to doing, but if they are still bottom by next month even he will see the sense of it.