Valencia 4 - Real Sociedad 0

Valencia: Cañizares; Curro Torres, Djukic, Marchena (Fabio Aurelio 78'), Carboni; Albelda, Baraja (Mista 73'); Rufete (Juan Sánchez 62'), Aimar, Kily González; Angulo. 4-2-3-1.
Real Sociedad: Westerveld; López Rekarte, Jauregui, Kvarme, Aranzábal; Xabi Alonso, Aranburu (Khokhlov 46'); Tayfun, Idiakez (Nihat 46'), De Pedro (Gabilondo 65'); Kovacevic. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Valencia: Kily González for Vicente / Real Sociedad: No change.

Goals:
1-0. 12. Baraja. Shot into roof of net from low hard cross by Kily González.
2-0. 28. Kily González. Took Aimar's short pass to shoot low across keeper.
3-0. 54. Angulo. Chipped over Westerveld after through ball by Rufete.
4-0. 88. Mista. Won ball back and beat keeper with shot into top corner.

Report by C.P.Rune

Both sides were looking for points for different reasons and with Madrid winning last night the pressure was on the home side to stay level with the leaders. They needed a win but with a Sociedad side enjoying a good run since they dispensed with John Toshack's services it was going to be tough.

Going into the game both sides had scored 39 league goals but their seasons reflected the strengths of their defences. Valencia have been tighter at the back and as a result were at the top despite the lack of goals. However with Ayala and Pellegrino, Valencia's regular central defenders, both out Sociedad had to consider they had a chance.

It was Sociedad who crafted the first good chance in the 9th minute. A free kick whipped to the far post was brilliantly dealt with by Albelda who headed the ball just past his own goal for a corner. Three minutes later it was Valencia who crafted the breakthrough with a fine goal. Aimar, breaking into the box, took the ball brilliantly on his chest but his effort was blocked. The ball fell to Kily Gonzalez who stretched and hit a shot across the goal which was met by the side foot of the in-rushing Baraja who sent an unstoppable shot past the despairing Westerveld in the Sociedad goal.

Normally one goal is enough for Valencia and normally Baraja picks up a yellow card so when he did so in the 24th minute it looked like more of the same as the home side started to get a grip on the game. The grip tightened in the 28th minute when Sociedad tried to dribble out of defence once too often. A hungry Valencia midfield pounced on the ball and swept towards goal. Baraja slipped the ball to Aimar who in turn passed the ball on to Kily Gonzalez arriving on the left who took just one touch - a cracking shot with the outside of his left foot that crashed past Westerveld and into the net.

The rest of the first half saw Valencia sweeping forward with the increasingly influential Aimar running the show and Sociedad hanging on. They needed to hold on to half time and see if they could come up with something to break down the meanest defence in Spain.

The second half gave Sociedad some hope as Valencia started slowly and seemed content to hold on to what they had. However, Valencia gave signs they were going to depart from the script when Curro Torres spurned the short ball game that had served them so well with a stunning long ball over the defence. Angulo, pressed into service up front, showed his striking credentials by outpacing the defence and lobbing Westerveld superbly.

It was all over and Valencia were checking the record books, although for a team that is used to winning 1 - 0 this didn't take long. For the last half an hour Valencia were irresistible and with last season's top scorer, Juan Sanchez, on they were looking increasingly likely to add to the three goals already scored. Baraja nearly finished off a great move when he blazed over from the edge of the box and the 37 year old Carbone, arriving from left back, sent an astute cut back from Juan Sanchez over the bar. Juan Sanchez also tried his luck from the outside of the box but was illegally thwarted as he pulled the trigger. From the resulting free kick Valencia's playmaker, Aimar, hit a glorious right foot curler over the wall and onto the bar as Westerveld could only wave it on its way.

With two minutes to go Mista, on for Baraja, scored a goal that typified Valencia's evening. Sociedad once more broke down against the brick wall of a defence that had thwarted them throughout and the break by Valencia was stunning - swift and sure and looking like producing the goal of the season. Somehow Sociedad got a foot in and when it seemed as though the danger was over Mista showed why Valencia are so strong at the back - they defend from the front. He made two telling challenges and with the second won the loose ball just outside the opposition penalty area. He then looked up and scored the best goal of a very good night. His unstoppable left foot shot into the top left hand corner of the net was a fitting climax to a great performance.

In injury time Westerveld made a great double save to stop Valencia equalling Deportivo's five goal haul last night, but they went back level with Madrid on points with a fantastic performance. Without the distraction of Europe and with a good squad Valencia are looking like strong contenders to pick up their first Spanish league title since 1971. If they keep playing like this they will surely do so.