Valencia 3 - Spartak Moscow 0

Valencia: Palop; Garrido, Marchena, Djukic, Fabio Aurelio; Angulo, De los Santos (David Sánchez 88'), Kily González; Mista; Juan Sánchez (David Navarro 88'), Salva (Albiol 71'). 4-3-1-2.
Spartak: Levitsky; Mitreski (Ogunsanya 77'), Moisés, Abramidze, Kovtun (Baranov 46'); Kalinichenko, Bezrodny (Da Silva 46'), Pavienko, Koudriashov (Sonin 62'); Danishevski, Bestchastnykh. 4-4-2.

Goals:
1-0. 38. Juan Sánchez. Header down into bottom corner from Angulo floated cross.
2-0. 47. Juan Sánchez. Shot wide of keeper after Mista laid ball in from left.
3-0. 78. Fabio Aurelio. Bent free kick round wall from right of area.

Group B:
Valencia.................. 16 points
Basel.......................... 9 points
Liverpool................... 8 points
Spartak Moscow.... 0 points

Valencia's last match in the first phase only served to give a run out to the lesser used players and to earn them a few more Swiss Francs. With the team already assured of first place in their group, and with their opponents Spartak Moscow yet to gain a point in the competition, the match was a mere formality. Even with the reserve players though the Spaniards were more than a match for the Russian side, and they ran out 3-0 winners without too much effort.

Rafa Benítez put out an attacking line up with Salva, Mista and Juan Sánchez in the side, and Sánchez hit the post on the quarter hour mark when free in front of goal. He made up for it later in the half though, heading an Angulo cross down past Levitsky. The Russians' only reply was a long shot from Danishevski which almost caught Palop off his line, and a free kick from Kalinichenko which the keeper saved with relative ease.

Immediately after the restart Sánchez added a second after Mista laid the ball back from the left wing, and Valencia were on line for the €340,000 win bonus. Salva was trying his hardest to impress his manager after several weeks without a game, but was clearly short of match practise, getting caught offside several times, and he was replaced by youngster Albiol twenty minutes from the end.

By now though Spartak were resigned to being only the third team in the history of the Champions League to end the first stage without a point, and they disappeared from the game. Angulo caused problems for Levitsky with a long shot, and Sánchez almost completed his hat-trick with a back-heel flick which went just wide. Eventually with a quarter of an hour to go Fabio Aurelio made it three with a well struck free kick, leaving Valencia top of the pack with five wins and a draw from their six games.