Racing Santander 2 - Valencia 1

Racing: Dudu Aouate; Pinillos, Garay, Pablo Alfaro, Ayoze; Antonio Tomás (Casquero 68'), Vitolo; Damià, Felipe Melo, Oscar Serrano (Jonathan 60'); Pinilla (Antoñito 64'). 4-2-3-1.
Valencia: Butelle; Curro Torres, Raúl Albiol, Marchena, Moretti; Rufete (Angulo 68'), Albelda, Baraja (Hugo Viana 70'), Regueiro (Aimar 46'); David Villa, Mista. 4-4-2.

Team changes: Racing: Oscar Serrano for Christian Portilla / Valencia: Butelle, Curro Torres, Rufete, Mista for Cañizares, Miguel, Angulo, Aimar.

Goals:
1-0. 17. Damià. Won ball off Marchena and ran on to chip shot past Butelle.
2-0. 66. Ayoze. Drove long free kick through wall and in to bottom corner of net.
2-1. 75. David Villa. Headed ball past Aouate after keeper pushed out penalty.

Valencia's run of sixteen games without defeat came to an end when they were beaten 2-1 by Racing Santander. The locals have the worst home record in the league, but they went ahead with just over a quarter of an hour gone when Damià won the ball off Marchena and ran on to score with a clever flick past Butelle, who was standing in for the suspended Cañizares.

Baraja and Regueiro did try their luck as the visitors tried to fight their way back, but the first time that Aouate had any work to do was five minutes before the break, when David Villa put him to the test. Quique Flores brought on Aimar at the interval to try and stir things up, but the Cantabrians went further ahead, Ayoze beating Butelle rather too easily with a low free kick which found it's way through the defensive wall.

Valencia did get one back later on after Aouate gave away a penalty on Mista, but even then Villa was lucky to get a second chance to head past the Israeli keeper after he had beaten away the striker's spot kick. Villa could well have saved a point though near the end when he held off a couple of defenders only to see his low shot stopped by Aouate, and soon afterwards the referee called it a day. Racing had their first home win in two months, and Valencia had lost more ground on leaders Barcelona, who are now twelve points clear of the Chés after this weekend.