Villarreal 2 - Valladolid 2

Villarreal: López Vallejo; Xavi Roca, Ballesteros (Gracia 73'), Quique Alvarez, Arruabarrena; Calleja, Amor, Galca, Cagna (Guayre 35'); Víctor, Pizzi. 4-4-2.
Valladolid: Ricardo; Torres Gómez, Peña, Caminero (Tena 46'), Mario, Marcos; Fernando Sales (Eusebio 84'), Lozano, Chema (Ricchetti 55'); Fernando, Luis García. 5-3-2.

Team changes: Villarreal: Xavi Roca, Calleja, Pizzi for Galván, Unai, Guayre / Valladolid: Torres Gómez, Lozano, Luis García for Ricchetti, Jesús, Tote.

Goals:
0-1. 10. Fernando (penalty). After Xavi Roca pushed Luis García from behind.
0-2. 15. Luis García. Forced ball into net with chest after Fernando Sales chip in.
1-2. 81. Calleja. Beat keeper after Ballesteros played on corner.
2-2. 87. Arruabarrena. From close up after Víctor shot touched by keeper.

Villarreal stay a point ahead of the relegation zone after coming back from two goals down to draw 2-2 against Valladolid. The visitors lined up without a recognised forward after Tote picked up an injury, Fernando and Luis García lining up in a makeshift attack. However they took an early lead with a dubious penalty after referee Ramírez Domínguez ruled that Xavi Roca had pushed Luis García from behind, Fernando converting the spot kick for his thirteenth goal of the season. Then five minutes later Luis García added a second involuntarily, Arruabarrena's attempted clearance from a long cross hitting him in the chest and bouncing in to the net. From that point on Moré's side sat back to defend their lead, with only an effort from Luis García in the second half troubling López Vallejo.

Víctor Muñoz brought on a third forward Guayre ten minutes before the break for the injured Cagna, but with Pizzi not finding his form of former years they were unable to get past the visitors' five man defence. Guayre went close either side of half time and Arruabarrena almost made up for his earlier mistake with a header just over the bar. The fans started to show their frustration when Guayre missed a sitter and then saw another effort stopped by a competent Ricardo. But then with only nine minutes to go Calleja bundled the ball into the net from a corner without knowing too much about it, and four minutes later Arruabarrena was in the right place at the right time to salvage a vital point which keeps them in fourteenth place. Valladolid are six points ahead of them, but they really needed a win to keep up their remote hopes of European football next season, and they will have to make do with a place in mid-table which assures them of another season in the top level.