Valencia 1 - Valladolid 0

Valencia: Cañizares; Angloma, Djukic, Björklund, Fabio Aurelio; Angulo, Mendieta (Zahovic 46'), Baraja, Vicente; Juan Sánchez (Albelda 75'), Carew (Diego Alonso 67'). 4-4-2.
Valladolid: Bizzarri; Torres Gómez, García Calvo, Heinze, Marcos; Caminero (Márquez 77'), Turiel, Fernando, Antonio López; Ciric (Kaviedes 75'), Pachón. 4-4-2.

Team changes: Valencia: Djukic, Fabio Aurelio for Pellegrino, Carboni / Valladolid: Marcos, Caminero, Ciric for Santamaría, Jesús, Fernando Sales.

Goals:
1-0. 65. Juan Sánchez. Far post header after Zahovic free kick from right.

A second half goal by Juan Sánchez took Valencia to within a point of second placed Deportivo to keep up the momentum on the Champions League spots. Having lost their last two home games Valencia were desperate to win, and Héctor Cúper put out an almost full strength side despite an important Champions League semi-final at Leeds on Wednesday night. Strangely though the side was missing Cúper's fellow countrymen, with Kily González and Ayala injured, Pellegrino suspended, and Aimar returning from playing at high altitude for Argentina midweek not in fit condition to take the field. Carboni was rested, with Fabio Aurelio taking his place at left back. They were up against a Valladolid side who are going through a real crisis, with players not having collected their wages for some weeks, manager Pancho Ferraro and club president Nacho Lewin resigning and Pepe Moré taking over as caretaker manager. All of this has affected their recent form, and they had lost six out of their last seven games to not so much fall as plummet down the table.

Cúper must be thankful that his opponents were the Castilla León side and not a more on form side, as they put in another disappointing performance, particularly in the first half. Valladolid wasted chance after chance, with Valencia's back four defending furiously and Cañizares showing why he has returned to the Spanish side recently. The league's "Zamora" kept out several efforts, including an Antonio López free kick and a Ciric shot to keep the scores level at half time. Valencia's only shot on target came from full back Fabio Aurelio, which Bizzarri saved without too much trouble. Cúper took off Mendieta at half time to put on Zahovic, the captain looking more and more tired as the season wears on. The move proved providential as the Slovenian international found the head of Juan Sánchez for him to beat Bizzarri with a well directed header on the far post with just over an hour gone.

Already thinking about the midweek match Cúper decided that this was enough, and took off first Carew and then Sánchez, leaving Diego Alonso alone up front. They could still have extended their lead towards the end when referee Bueno Grimal missed a clear hand ball by Heinze in the penalty area, and Albelda put a shot wide. But Valladolid were a beaten side, and Valencia had kept a clean sheet for the fourteenth time this season in the league. They were back on track for another Champions League appearance and can rest easy before Wednesday night's game. Valladolid though are looking over their shoulders, and if results go against them on Sunday they could be within two points of the drop zone. With their last three games against the "Bermuda triangle", they have another three games left to get themselves a cushion, one of which is against relegation rivals Racing. Don't bet on them to stay up.