Valencia 1 - Deportivo La Coruña 0

Valencia: Cañizares; Curro Torres, Djukic, Ayala, Carboni; Albelda, Baraja; Rufete, Aimar (Juan Sánchez 82'), Kily González (Vicente 84'); Angulo (Mista 65'). 4-2-3-1.
Deportivo: Molina; Scaloni, Naybet, Romero, Capdevila; Duscher (Emerson 74'), Sergio; Víctor (Pandiani 70'), Valerón, Fran (Amavisca 87'); Makaay. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Valencia: Ayala for Marchena / Deportivo: Duscher, Víctor for Mauro Silva, Diego Tristán.

Goals:
1-0. 70. Duscher (own goal). Turned Aimar free kick past his own keeper.

Report by C.P.Rune

With Real Madrid winning the night before, a large crowd in Valencia's Mestalla stadium were hoping that once again their team could leapfrog back to the top. With only 4 games to go nerves were starting to jangle and the obstacle this time was a Deportivo team breathing right down their necks. Valencia, who had all season leant on their defence for support were buoyed by the return of Ayala and with Diego Tristan injuring himself while training for Spain the Deportivo attack was correspondingly blunted. The biggest factor tonight would be tension in a game neither side could afford to lose, or even to draw.

Some early sparring produced little for either side with Deportivo sitting deep and Valencia probing cautiously forward, aware of the danger their opponents offered on the break. In the 10th minute Angulo suddenly found space through the centre of the previously tight Deportivo rearguard and as he sped into the box he waited until he saw the whites of Molina's eyes before pulling the trigger and blazing into the crowd. Minutes later Kily Gonzalez, a surprise inclusion following his exertions for Argentina in the week, found space on the left and his cross into the heart of the penalty area was met by the side foot of Baraja - just as he had done two weeks ago against Real Sociedad, but this time he shot straight at the keeper who saved easily.

In the 15th minute Makaay, playing up front instead of the injured Tristan, latched onto a superb through ball by Victor and ran clear of a static Valencia back line. His first touch didn't bring the ball under the control required and he too blazed wide when a top quality player would have expected to at least trouble the keeper.

Valencia then forced a series of corners that yielded little before Kily once again showed the pressure of the evening. A flowing move, so typical of Valencia's season, saw the ball quickly transferred from Aimar through Baraja to Angulo and on to Kily charging into the box. Once again, when composure was required he found only row Z.

Nerves started to fray as three players were booked in a three minute spell including Curro Torres for an outrageous block on Fran that will see him suspended. Valencia have little enough cover at right back so suspensions could cost them dear.

Just when it looked as though Deportivo had nothing to offer they reminded Valencia that with both sides level all things were possible. Sergio played a neat one-two with Valerón and as the international midfielder looked like advancing on goal he nearly surprised Cañizares with an early shot from some distance and the big keeper get down smartly to palm the ball round his post.

In the 39th minute things were swinging back towards the Deportivo goal and a tame free kick from 30 yards out was easily tipped over by Molina. From the resulting corner Valencia tried something a little different, and they needed to, by sending the cross to the edge of the box where Curro Torres was lurking. His control and shot were excellent but too close to Molina to cause real trouble.

Just before half time Rufete, who had been kicked up and down the right wing, ended a twisting run into the box with a dive over the outstretched foot of a defender. Given that he had to travel some distance to find this foot and fell as if shot from the crowd he could hardly argue with the resulting yellow card although this whipped an already excitable crowd into a frenzy, and the referee would have enjoyed his half time cuppa alone.

The second half started as the first one had ended with Depor on the back foot and Valencia pouring forward in search of a goal. In the 51st minute Baraja, who had been on the scoresheet in the last two matches nearly found the golden touch. A deep cross was beautifully cushioned back by Angulo as he peeled away from the defenders and although Baraja's first touch was less than sure, sending the ball up into the air and away from goal, a quick adjustment of the feet made his second a touch of class. His acrobatic overhead kick was already bouncing out of the penalty area back off the cross bar before Molina knew where it was.

In the 65th minute Roy Makaay nearly snatched an unlikely lead for Deportivo. A quick break down the right on a rare incursion out of their own half saw Victor cut back and send a glorious cross to the Dutchman beyond the helpless Albelda. Although his header back across goal was firm and low Cañizares used all his experience to make the save look easy. The feeling was that Makaay should have done better, chances for Deportivo had been rare all night.

After that Mista came on as both managers tried to change things slightly to steal a game that was always going to be tight. When the goal came, in the 69th minute, it was a bit scrappy and made in Argentina, but Valencia didn't care. A questionable free kick on the left hand side of the box was whipped in by the excellent Aimar. With everyone queuing up at the far post the little Argentinian fooled everyone with a low drive round the two man wall. No one was more surprised than Duscher, his fellow countryman, who last week had kicked David Beckam's toe into the prayers of a nation. Once again his right leg wrote the headlines as he sliced the cross horribly off his shin and past the startled Molina who nearly performed miracles to keep the ball out but could only gasp in despair as the ball trickled into the goal - not even hard enough to reach the back of the net. Valencia exploded with delight as the breakthrough was achieved.

The last 20 minutes saw a rash of substitutions and a series of chances falling to a Valencia side who worked so hard to keep the one goal advantage that in the end they deserved to hold on. It was a gritty performance and although they deserved to win and created a number of good opportunities, they ended up sneaking the result by a single goal. It is hardly correct to say they strode back to the summit but they will be breathing hard as they sit atop the table for another week and with three games to come, two of which are at home, they must now hold their nerve if they are to claim a prize that their style and hard work deserve.