Levante 4 - Valencia 2

Levante: Molina; Descarga (Manolo 72'), Alexis, José Serrano, Rubiales; Tomassi, Berson (Camacho 78'); Ettien (Courtois 60'), Kapo, Riga; Salva. 4-2-3-1.
Valencia: Cañizares; Curro Torres (Butelle 10'), Ayala, Raúl Albiol, Del Horno; Marchena, Albelda; Joaquín, Angulo (Gavilán 46'), David Silva (Baraja 68'); David Villa. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Levante: Molina, Alexis, Berson, Kapo for Cavallero, Alvaro, Camacho, Courtois / Valencia: Curro Torres, Del Horno, David Silva for Miguel, Moretti, Gavilán.

Goals:
1-0. 03. Riga. Beat Cañizares after Salva headed on long free kick.
2-0. 11. Salva. Following up after Butelle turned his penalty against the post.
2-1. 15. Joaquín. Got on end of Villa cross to turn ball in from close up.
3-1. 49. Riga. Shot wide of Butelle after Salva headed ball across.
4-1. 75. Courtois. Picked up bad clearance and rounded Albelda to score.
4-2. 88. Baraja. Shot past Molina after Joaquín square ball across.

Levante made sure of another season in the top flight with a 4-2 win over city rivals Valencia. Needing at most a point to be mathematically safe, and with their opponents having nothing to play for, it promised to be a quiet affair. But in the end it was nothing of the sort, with six goals as well as four red cards from an over-zealous referee, Clos Gómez.

Riga started things off when he poked Salva's headed pass past Cañizares in only the third minute, and a few minutes later the visitors were left with ten men when Cañizares hauled down Salva in the area. Butelle came on for the sacrificed Curro Torres and managed to push Salva's spot kick against the post, although the striker reacted quickly and turned the rebound in for his side's second goal.

Valencia got back in the game quickly though, Joaquín turning in Villa's cross from close up on the quarter hour mark, and numbers were evened up when Kapo was sent off for a second bookable offence just before the break. But four minutes after the restart Levante were back in the lead with Riga's second of the night, and within a few minutes the visitors were down to eight men after Ayala was shown a rather harsh straight red for a high tackle on Berson, and then Marchena joined him after picking up a second yellow card.

After that it was all over, and substitute Courtois took advantage of a bad clearance to round Albelda and score. Courtois and Riga could both have added to the lead, but with the game coming to an end Baraja got a late consolation for Quique Flores's side on a quick breakaway. It didn't spoil the evening for the local fans though, who celebrated long into the night.