Valencia 2 - Málaga 0

Valencia: Cañizares; Angloma, Ayala, Djukic, Carboni; Mendieta (Pellegrino 85'), Albelda, Baraja, Vicente; Ilie (Juan Sánchez 47', Angulo 57'), Carew. 4-4-2.
Málaga: Contreras; Rojas (Zárate 70'), Bravo, Roteta, Valcarce; Rufete (Musampa 80'), De los Santos, Movilla (Edgar 72'), Agostinho (Canabal 85'); Darío Silva, Dely Valdés. 4-4-2.

Team changes: Valencia: No change / Málaga: Rojas, Roteta for Martín Rivas, Zárate.

Goals:
1-0. 41. Carew. Placed shot wide of Contreras after cross from Vicente.
2-0. 74. Baraja. From inside penalty area after Carboni took quick free kick.

Playing the last game of the weekend, Valencia went in to this match knowing that a draw would be good enough to keep them at the top of the first division. However Héctor Cúper wanted more from his players, and put out his strongest available side looking for a victory, despite the fact that many of them had participated in their Spanish cup victory midweek. Adrian Ilie kept his place up front alongside on-form John Carew, and with Kily González, Deschamps and Zahovic all still injured, he kept the same side that beat Real Sociedad last weekend in the league. Carboni passed a late fitness test, and therefore there was no place for new squad member Fabio Aurelio, although he did take a place on the bench. Málaga's manager Joaquín Peiró went back to his 4-4-2 formation, bringing in Rojas and Roteta in defence in place of Zárate and the suspended Martín Rivas. They too had a new face on the bench, Canabal returning after a three month lay off due to injury.

Cúper's side has the best defensive record in the league having gone the last six matches without letting in a goal, and Cañizares had no trouble keeping out aq shot from Dely Valdés early on. Ilie missed a couple of chances for Valencia before Carew struck the top of the crossbar with a shot, and Darío Silva put a shot wide and then failed to connect with a scissors kick at the other end. With four minutes to go before the break Vicente got free down the left wing, and his cross was met first time by Carew, who nonchalantly placed the ball wide of Contreras and in to the corner of the net. Ilie had to go off just after the break and Cúper brought on Juan Sánchez, but he too had to leave the field ten minutes later after hurting himself in a clash with Contreras.

Twenty minutes in to the second half there was an off the ball incident between Darío Silva and Angloma after the former caught the French full back in the head with a high kick. Angloma slapped the Uruguayan lightly on the face in reprimand, and after giving it a bit of thought, the forward collapsed to the ground. Referee Andradas Asurmendi did not hesitate and after producing a yellow card for Darío Silva, he sent off Angloma much to the dismay of the Valencia players. Although the incident appeared to be play-acting from the Málaga player, the disciplinary committee suspended the French international for three games, at the same time pardoning Darío Silva's yellow card, which would have been his fifth of the season. Still with ten men Valencia were able to score again, Baraja taking advantage of a quick free kick from Carboni with the Málaga defence still talking amongst themselves. Towards the end of the game Canabal came on for Málaga and got the ball in the net, but his effort was disallowed for offside. Valencia had won and they go two points clear at the top, although second placed Real Madrid do still have a game in hand. Málaga drop to thirteenth, in a group of four teams level on 18 points.