Valencia 2 - Racing Santander 0

Valencia: Palop; Curro Torres, Marchena, Djukic, Fabio Aurelio; Angulo, Baraja (Albelda 69'), De los Santos, Vicente (Carboni 62'); Juan Sánchez (Aimar 75'), Carew. 4-4-2.
Racing: Lemmens; Pineda, Moratón, Juanma, Sietes; Diego Mateo (Messias 65'), Nafti; Pablo Sierra, Benayoun (Diego Alonso 72'), Txiki (Javi Guerrero 70'); Munitis. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Valencia: Palop, Djukic, Baraja for Cañizares, Ayala, Albelda / Racing: Nafti for Ismael.

Goals:
1-0. 41. Angulo. Took pass from Sánchez and rounded keeper to score.
2-0. 47. Carew. Turned ball wide of Lemmens after cross in from Angulo.

Valencia moved up to second place after beating Racing Santander 2-0 on Saturday evening. Either side could have scored in a lively first half, with Angulo seeing his shot blocked and Carew slow to capitalise on a clear chance for the locals and Munitis and Txiki both going close for the visitors. Angulo gave the home side the lead though shortly before the interval, running on to Juan Sánchez through ball to shoot past Lemmens. Then three minutes in to the second half the goalscorer turned provider, setting up Carew for him to get ahead of the defence and turn the ball wide of the keeper.

Palop was replacing the injured Cañizares in the Valencia goal, and he saved well from Benayoun as Racing reacted, and Munitis struck the bar soon afterwards with a long shot. But Benítez was already thinking of the Champions League game against Arsenal and started to rest players, taking off Baraja, Vicente and then Juan Sánchez, Aimar coming on in his place to rousing applause after an injury which has kept him out for almost a month. No surprise in the end, and Racing drop to fourteenth, now only three points above the relegation zone.