Barcelona 3 - Valencia 2

Barcelona: Dutruel; Puyol, Frank De Boer, Sergi; Gabri, Guardiola (Petit 65'), Rivaldo, Cocu; Simao (Xavi 46'), Kluivert (Zenden 78'), Overmars. 3-4-3.
Valencia: Cañizares; Angloma, Ayala, Pellegrino, Fabio Aurelio; Baraja, Albelda; Angulo, Aimar (Djukic 87'), Kily González (Vicente 67'); Carew (Ilie 87'). 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Barcelona: Simao, Overmars for Petit, Xavi / Valencia: Angulo for Juan Sánchez.

Goals:
1-0. 04. Rivaldo. Free kick from outside of area into top corner of net.
1-1. 26. Baraja. Headed Aimar corner wide of Dutruel.
2-1. 45. Rivaldo. Speculative shot from outside area which beat unsighted keeper.
2-2. 48. Baraja. Diving header into bottom corner after cross by Fabio Aurelio.
3-2. 89. Rivaldo. Spectacular overhead kick after De Boer pass.

A spectacular bicycle kick from Rivaldo in the last minute of this match secured Barcelona a place in the Champions League for next season. Fate had thrown together in the last game of the league calendar the two teams who were disputing the last of the four spots for the European competition, with Barcelona three points behind their rivals needing to win to overtake them in the table. With a minute left on the clock and the scores level, it looked as if Valencia were going to hold on. But then Rivaldo controlled a De Boer chipped pass on his chest on the edge of the area with his back to goal, and the Brazilian star flung himself into the air to fire the ball over his shoulder and past the outstretched Cañizares. The ground exploded, and Valencia were left hanging their heads, out of the Champions League having finished as runners up two years in a row, and having to make do with the UEFA cup next season.

Barça's manager Charly Rexach picked an aggressive line up, with only three defenders and wingers Simao and Overmars flanking Kluivert, who had complained about the lack of support from that area in the past. Their opponents were missing their captain Mendieta who failed a late fitness test, and Héctor Cúper used his last game in charge before moving on to Inter Milan to try out a new formation, leaving Juan Sánchez on the bench and playing with only one front man, John Carew, with Aimar playing behind him. If Cúper was looking for a scoreless draw his luck was out however, and Rivaldo opened the scoring in the first few minutes with a well struck free kick into the corner of Cañizares's net. Simao could have made it two when he his first time shot grazed the bar, but only a couple of minutes later Valencia equalised through Baraja, the defence leaving him unmarked to place a long header past Dutruel from Aima's corner.

As half time approached the draw seemed on the cards, but once again Rivaldo took advantage of a half chance to make himself a bit of room and bend the ball past an unsighted Cañizares. Rexach took off Simao at the break to add Xavi to midfield, but Baraja once again found the net from a long header to level the scores once again only three minutes after the restart. By now the fans were getting restless, and when Rexach decided to pull off an ineffective Guardiola and then Kluivert the first whistles were heard. Dutruel was forced to make an arm's length save from Kily González, and only Overmars and Rivaldo were showing any interest at the other end, with the Dutchman getting a couple of shots on target and the Brazilian almost catching Cañizares out once again with an inswinging corner.

But then Rivaldo completed his hat-trick out of nowhere, and even the normally po-faced Gaspart forgot himself and leapt into the air. It was a goal valued at around 12 million euros (assuming that is that Barcelona survive the Champions League preliminary round), and saved the season for the Blaugrana, who still have the Spanish cup semi-final to come. Valencia go home with nothing, and there is a danger now that their most successful team ever will break up, with Cúper looking to take players with him to Inter Milan and others on the shopping list of the European giants. For the sake of Spanish football, one hopes that will not happen.