| First Division - Day 20 | |
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Valencia 0 - Real Madrid 1 Valencia:
Cañizares; Angloma, Ayala, Djukic, Fabio Aurelio; Mendieta, Albelda,
Baraja (Deschamps 62'), Kily González; Angulo (Zahovic 62'), Carew.
4-4-2. Team changes: Valencia: Fabio Aurelio, Kily González, Angulo for Carboni, Vicente, Juan Sánchez / Madrid: Guti for Morientes. Goals: Real Madrid opened up an almost unassailable seven point lead at the top of the first division with a narrow victory in the Mestalla stadium. The Merengues have now won ten and drawn one of their last eleven games, and although there are still 18 games to go, many people believe that the league is already over. It was another hard fought match, following on from last weekend's battle between Valencia and Barcelona, and once again a single goal decided it. This time it was Raúl the scorer, beating his old friend Cañizares from a yard out nine minutes from time after substitutes Munitis and Morientes had combined to set him up. Del Bosque had left Morientes on the bench after he played most of the game against Zaragoza midweek, bringing in Guti in an otherwise unchanged line up, but with the game at stalemate with a quarter of an hour to play he threw him on for McManaman. Munitis had already replaced Guti a few minutes before, and he switched out to the left to leave the striker's position to the ex Zaragoza forward. Only four minutes later he beat his man down the wing and swung over a cross, which Morientes, completely unmarked, headed goalwards. Cañizares got down well to block it, but the ball ran loose and there was Raúl to lift it into the roof of the net for his fourteenth of the season in all competitions. It was enough to sink Valencia, who have now lost to their three most important rivals in successive matches, with two defeats this season in the league against Real Madrid. Héctor Cúper's side had held their own for much of the match, with Brazilian youngster Fabio Aurelio, making his debut at left back in place of the suspended Carboni, controlling Figo as well as he could (Cúper had made him watch Figo videos for two days before the game). Ayala was finally in the side, his possible foul on Simao last week still under investigation by the disciplinary committee, and he and an at times over-physical Albelda kept a watch on Raúl and Guti. Valencia were lacking in attack though, with Angulo replacing the injured Ilie alongside an unusually quiet John Carew, and they failed to score for the third match in a row. In fact neither keeper was really troubled, with Mendieta, Baraja and Kily González (back in the side after a two month injury and replacing the suspended Vicente) all shooting wide and high on a number of occasions. Madrid too were off target, and the first real save from the league's best keeper Cañizares came from a Figo free kick just before the interval. Cúper brought on his two 'forgotten men' Deschamps and Zahovic midway through the second half, but Karanka and Hierro always got the better of them. A frustrated crowd took it out on Figo, who had provoked a couple of yellow cards in the first half, and they threw plastic bottles at him as he approached the touchline. In the last minutes Carew claimed a penalty for a push from behind on the edge of the area, but Hierro had played the ball cleanly and referee Undiano Mallenco waved play on. Madrid brought on Solari for the last minute, his first appearance in six weeks, and Angloma reminded him how hard life can be sometimes with a horrendous tackle that fortunately for him only earned a yellow card. The final whistle brought boos from the crowd, not happy with the team's recent form, and Cúper must be hoping that the Aimar deal is signed as soon as possible to give his team more clout. They are now fourth, ten points behind the leaders but still four ahead of the rest, and they have to pick themselves up to maintain their champions league position. Madrid are already virtually assured of theirs. |
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Results |