Valencia 1 - Las Palmas 0

Valencia: Cañizares; Curro Torres, Ayala, Pellegrino, Carboni; Albelda, De los Santos; Angulo (Rufete 66'), Aimar (Juan Sánchez 81'), Vicente (Kily González 55'); Salva Ballesta. 4-2-3-1.
Las Palmas: Nacho González; Angel, Sarasua, Olías, Schurrer, Paqui; Edu Alonso (Tevenet 75'), Alberto, Jorge, Pablo Lago (Eloy 75'); Orlando (Rubén 79'). 5-4-1.

Team changes: Valencia: Aimar for Ilie / Las Palmas: Sarasua, Olías, Alberto for Ramón, Samways, Carmelo.

Goals:
1-0. 62. Albelda. Turned Aimar's cross in past keeper on near post.

Valencia moved level with Celta and Alavés on points after a laboured 1-0 victory over a very defensive Las Palmas. Rafa Benítez surprised everyone with his line up, deciding not to include Ilie alongside Aimar and Salva in a throwback to the days of Héctor Cúper. The result too was a Cúper style single goal victory, effective but not very pretty, and fans must wonder when they will see the attacking football the new manager promised. Still they are currently in third place, only behind the top two on goal average, a better start than in previous years.

Albelda got the only goal of the game in the second half, turning Aimar's clever pass past Nacho González. The visitors ended the game with nine men after referee Téllez Sánchez, making his debut in the first division, sent off Alberto just after the goal and then Sarasua at the end of the game when he hacked down Salva from behind. The referee did not have the best of games, heavy on cards towards the end, and he incorrectly disallowed a goal from Salva in the first half for an non-existent offside.