Valencia 0 - Espanyol 1

Valencia: Cañizares; Angloma, Ayala, Pellegrino, Carboni; Angulo (Zahovic 60'), Mendieta, Baraja, Vicente; Juan Sánchez, Diego Alonso. 4-4-2.
Espanyol: Mora; Navas, Lopo, Rotchen, Roger; Velamazán, Sergio, Galca, Iván Diaz (Arteaga 76'); Martín Posse (Serrano 70'), Tamudo (Soldevilla 85'). 4-4-2.

Team changes: Valencia: Angloma, Carboni, Mendieta, Diego Alonso for Djukic, Albelda, Kily González, Carew / Espanyol: Velamazán, Iván Diaz, Martín Posse for Nan Ribera, Arteaga, Serrano.

Goals:
0-1. 52. Tamudo. Diving header past Cañizares after Velamazán cross from right.

For the fifth year in a row Valencia failed to beat Espanyol in the Mestalla stadium, this time losing to a single goal scored by Tamudo in the second half. The defeat leaves Valencia virtually out of the race for the league championship, now ten points behind leaders Real Madrid. With one eye on next Wednesday's Champions League game at Arsenal, Héctor Cúper left Kily González on the bench and decided not to call up Aimar, still not fully recovered from his recent injury. Carew also missed the game through suspension, and with Ilie once again injuring himself playing for Romania midweek only days after returning after several weeks out, Diego Alonso played up front alongside Sánchez. Espanyol on the other hand were back to something like full strength, and although Toledo had returned to play in Paraguay after his licence was withdrawn following the passport scandal, Velamazán returned from suspension and Posse from injury to take their places back in the starting line up.

The game was preceded by a procession outside the stadium led by supporters wearing donkeys' heads in protest against the treatment received from referees this season, and in particular the referee of their last match, Daudén Ibáñez, and banners around the ground proclaimed that his performance had handed Real Madrid the championship. The referee for this match Andradas Asurmendi ordered the posters to be taken down, and when the club refused to comply, included the fact in his match report. At least in this game Andradas did not upset the home crowd, waving away a fairly legitimate claim by Espanyol for a penalty after Tamudo was brought down in the area in the second half. But Espanyol didn't need a penalty to beat a Valencia side that appeared to be a shadow of its former self, lacking enthusiasm and imagination as the long season wears on. Only in the first few minutes did the Chés look like winning, but Mora was good enough to keep out Baraja, Diego Alonso and Mendieta.

On the stroke of half time Cañizares turned Roger's header away for a corner, and shortly after the break Espanyol went in front, Tamudo getting ahead of his marker Ayala to head home Velamazán's cross. Cúper brought on Zahovic to little avail as a serious Espanyol defence closed down the game, and went on to their second win in a row and their fifth game without defeat. They are now ninth, only three points away from the UEFA cup spots and ten behind their opponents, who hang on to the third place ahead of Barcelona only on goal average. Near the end of the game fans shouted "Cúper, vete ya", (Cúper, go now), with stories coming out midweek that he is already planning Barcelona's pre-season. Even if not true he is certain to leave this summer, and with fans on his back all the time he must looking forward to the end of the season. It is difficult to believe that Cúper has given Valencia the best two years in their recent history, runners up in the Champions League last season and still in the quarter finals this year. Some people just can't be pleased.