Betis 2 - Valencia 0

Betis: Prats; Varela, Juanito, Filipescu, Luis Fernández; Arzu, Ito; Joaquín, Fernando (Gastón Casas 77'), Benjamín (Calado 85'); Dani (Capi 65'). 4-2-3-1.
Valencia: Cañizares; Reveillère (Mista 75'), Ayala, Pellegrino, Carboni; Angulo (Marchena 46'), De los Santos (Baraja 60'); Rufete, Aimar, Fabio Aurelio; Carew. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Betis: Juanito, Benjamín, Dani for Marcos Assunçao, César, Joao Tomas / Valencia: Pellegrino, Angulo, De los Santos, Fabio Aurelio for Djukic, Albelda, Baraja, Vicente.

Goals:
1-0. 36. Fernando. Shot across Cañizares after Arzu through ball.
2-0. 65. Arzu. Shot from outside of area on the run after Joaquín laid ball back.

Valencia lost further ground on the top three after losing 2-0 to Betis, and although they stay in fourth place they are now only two points above Celta. It was a game between two sides going through a bad patch, Valencia having only taken two points from the four games prior to this one and Betis with only one victory from the last eight. With one eye on next Tuesday's Champions League tie with Inter Milan, Rafa Benítez left four of his tired Spanish internationals on the bench and put out a side with many changes. Víctor Fernández could count on Juanito and Luis Fernández in defence, both back after injury, but the bad news was a serious knee injury to Denilson last week which means he will probably miss the rest of the season.

The Andalucians took the lead ten minutes before the break when Arzu found Fernando with a pass over the top of the defence for him to beat Cañizares, and the visitors were left with ten men on the stroke of half time when Ayala was sent off for elbowing Dani in the face. The young striker appeared to be seriously hurt, being stretchered off in a neck brace, but he made a miraculous recovery and took the field in the second half. Arzu added a spectacular second goal after Joaquín set him up, and Valencia ended the game with nine men after substitute Baraja was also sent off after picking up a yellow card for a foul on Benjamín and then getting another, presumably for insulting the referee immediately afterwards. Betis move back into the top six pending Sunday's games.