Valencia 2 - Espanyol 1

Valencia: Cañizares; Angulo (Fabio Aurelio 57'), Djukic, Ayala, Carboni; Albelda, Baraja; Rufete, Aimar, Vicente (Kily González 67'); Mista (Juan Sánchez 76'). 4-2-3-1.
Espanyol: Argensó; Navas, Soldevilla, Rotchen, Ricardo Cavas; Alex Fernández, Paulo Sousa (Morales 74'); De Lucas, Pacheco (Palencia 67'), Roger; Tamudo. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Valencia: Vicente, Mista for Curro Torres, Kily González / Espanyol: Soldevilla, Roger for Lopo, Martín Posse.

Goals:
0-1. 28. Tamudo (penalty). After Ayala ruled to have handled deliberately in area.
1-1. 68. Baraja. Controlled Kily's centre and beat keeper from close up.
2-1. 79. Baraja. Low volley from edge of area after Kily laid ball in from left.

Valencia virtually wrapped up their first league title since 1971 after fighting their way back from a goal down with ten men to beat Espanyol 2-1. Rafa Benítez was missing Curro Torres who was banned for one match, and the versatile Angulo (who had played at centre forward the week before) switched comfortably to right back. Mista took Angulo's place up front, and Vicente was given a run out on the left wing with Kily González rested. Paco Flores replaced the suspended Lopo with Soldevilla, himself returning from a one match ban, and Roger came in for Martín Posse, who will be out for the rest of the season after picking up an injury in their victory over Villarreal last week. The home side started well, with Mista having a shot cleared off the line by Roger and a motivated Baraja hitting the bar with a free kick. But Espanyol have become a bit of a bête noir at the Mestalla stadium, having won their last three games there, and they took the lead from a Tamudo penalty after Ayala was adjudged to have handled in the area. A couple of minutes later Carboni elbowed De Lucas in the face, and Medina Cantalejo had no hesitation in sending off the veteran left back.

It appeared to be all over, but Valencia were not going to let the first league title in over 30 years slip out of their hands, and they threw caution to the winds. Only a reflex one handed save by Argensó kept out Rufete, and the extrovert keeper injured himself throwing himself forward to cut out another dangerous cross before the break. The pressure continued into the second half, and Rotchen blocked a shot from Mista. Baraja went just wide from Rufete's cross, and as Fabio Aurelio was coming on for Angulo, a spontaneous cheer broke out as news of Real Sociedad's goal against Real Madrid filtered through. If Valencia needed any more motivation that was it, and a minute after Benítez brought on Kily for Vicente, the Argentine winger played the ball in for Baraja to beat the keeper from close range.

The ground was thick with tension as the home side went for the jugular, with Baraja once again in the thick of things. The Spanish international midfielder went just wide once again before he finally hit the winner ten minutes from the end after another Kily assist. De Lucas gave the home fans a fright near the end when he fired a shot over the bar, but this was Valencia's night and Madrid's defeat means they are now four points clear of their rivals. A victory next week at Málaga will give the East coast side the league title, but even if they fail they still have a home match against Betis to come. Espanyol return home empty handed, and their push for a European spot could be over if the teams above them win on Sunday.