Villarreal 3 - Valladolid 1

Villarreal: Reina; Javi Venta (Víctor 69'), Quique Alvarez, Ballesteros, Arruabarrena; Josico (Battaglia 26'), Pedro Martí; Belletti, Riquelme (Roger 78'), Guayre; José Marí. 4-2-3-1.
Valladolid: Bizzarri; Torres Gómez, Julio César, Peña, Marcos; Jesús (Losada 84'), Ricchetti; Fernando Sales, Sousa (Jonathan 69'), Oscar González; Makukula. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Villarreal: Javi Venta, Quique Alvarez for Coloccini, Sonny Anderson / Valladolid: Julio César, Marcos, Sousa, Makukula for Caminero, Jonathan, Zapata, Losada.

Goals:
1-0. 39. José Marí. Headed past Bizzarri on far post from Riquelme's pass.
1-1. 64. Makukula. Ran on to through ball to shoot under legs of keeper.
2-1. 72. Víctor. Headed into net from close up after Bizzarri saved his first effort.
3-1. 84. Roger. Got on the end of Víctor's chipped pass to turn ball past keeper.

Villarreal ended the first half of the season in fifth spot after beating Valladolid 3-1. The game took some time to get going, and only Riquelme for the locals and Makukula for the visitors got anywhere near the opposing goal. But six minutes before the break Guayre and Riquelme combined down the left wing, and although Riquelme's effort was blocked, the ball fell to José Marí for him to head past Bizzarri.

Guayre could have made it two soon after the restart when he hit the bar with the keeper beaten, but Makukula levelled the scores a quarter of an hour later on a quick counterattack. However only a minute later Julio César got himself sent off for the visitors with a second yellow card, and Benito Floro decided to bring on his super-sub, Víctor. And once again he proved decisive, the ex Spanish international restoring the lead when he was the first to react after Bizzarri pushed out his first effort, and then setting up Roger for a third near the end.