Deportivo 2 - Valencia 4

Deportivo: Dudu Aouate; Manuel Pablo, Piscu, Coloccini, Filipe; De Guzmán, Sergio; Juan Rodríguez (Riki 62'), Verdú, Guardado (Cristian 72'); Xisco (Bodipo 62'). 4-2-3-1.
Valencia: Cañizares; Miguel, Iván Helguera, Raúl Albiol, Moretti; Albelda, Baraja; Joaquín (Arizmendi 75'), David Silva, Gavilán (Angulo 63'); Morientes (Zigic 79'). 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Deportivo: No change / Valencia: Cañizares, Iván Helguera, Albelda, Joaquín, David Silva, Gavilán, Morientes for Hildebrand, Alexis, Marchena, Angulo, David Villa, Arizmendi, Zigic.

Goals:
0-1. 09. Joaquín (penalty). After Joaquín himself fouled by Coloccini inside area.
0-2. 15. Baraja. Finished off after Silva and Gavilán combined to set him up.
1-2. 28. Xisco. Turned ball into net after Cañizares failed to cut out cross.
1-3. 37. Morientes. Got ahead of Aouate to head Joaquín cross into net.
1-4. 73. Morientes. Header past keeper after good run by Silva down wing.
2-4. 87. Bodipo. Following up after defender blocked shot from Verdú.

Valencia moved back up to third in the table after beating Deportivo 2-4. There had been complaints about the lack of goals in the Riazor stadium recently, but that all changed this week. Joaquín opened the scoring from the penalty spot early on after he was brought down by Coloccini in the ninth minute, and Baraja scrambled home a second from a yard out after Aouate and his defence failed to cut out Gavilán's cross with only a quarter of an hour gone.

Cañizares returned to the Valencia line up this weekend after a lay-off through injury, but he was looking shaky, almost turning Guardado's cross into his own net. And a few minutes later he misread another cross from Juan Rodríguez, allowing Xisco to steer the ball into the net.

Before half time though Valencia got back their two goal lead following a much protested free kick, Morientes heading across Aouate from Joaquín's long cross. Depor came back after the break, Verdú, Guardado and Bodipo all going close. But it was Morientes again who scored a fourth for the visitors, heading David Silva's cross into the top corner of the net.

That was the end of the contest, although the locals kept on going to the end. Cañizares did well to keep out Piscu's header, and with two minutes to go Bodpio got his side's second of the night after a defender blocked a shot from Verdú. A couple of minutes later Valencia were left with ten men when Helguera picked up two pickings in quick succession for fouls on Bodipo, and with the game in injury time Riki hit the post following a short free kick. But Depor had lost again, and they are now only three points above the drop zone with Sunday's games still to come.