Valencia 1 - Real Madrid 2

Valencia: Cañizares; Ayala, Pellegrino (Mista 84'), Djukic, Carboni (Kily González 88'); Baraja, Marchena; Vicente (Rufete 60'), Aimar, Fabio Aurelio; Carew. 4-2-3-1.
Real Madrid: Casillas; Michel Salgado, Iván Helguera, Pavón, Roberto Carlos; Flavio Conceiçao, Guti; Figo (Cambiasso 84'), Raúl (Solari 92'), Zidane; Ronaldo (Morientes 88'). 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Valencia: Baraja for Albelda / Madrid: Pavón, Ronaldo for Hierro, Morientes.

Goals:
0-1. 26. Ronaldo. Steered header past Cañizares from Figo left-sided cross.
1-1. 32. Fabio Aurelio. Took square pass from Aimar and shot low past Casillas.
1-2. 64. Ronaldo Controlled high Figo pass and rounded keeper to score.

Real Madrid moved back to top spot pending Real Sociedad's game on Sunday after a 1-2 win at Valencia on Saturday evening. The hero of the night was Ronaldo, who returned to the side to score a goal in each half and give his side the three points. The Brazilian striker opened the scoring with a header from Figo's cross only a minute after the home side had claimed a penalty after Salgado blocked Vicente's centre with his arm inside the area. Valencia bounced back though inspired by an Aimar who had already gone close twice, and it was the Argentine forward who found the gap, squaring the ball to Fabio Aurelio for him to score his third goal in two games.

After the break it was the visitors who ran the show, with Ronaldo sending an effort just wide and Figo claiming a penalty when brought down by Pellegrino. Five minutes later Ronaldo sentenced the game, his first touch from Figo's lofted pass taking him into position to leave his marker and round Cañizares to score. It was a match winning goal, and although Guti should have made it three in the dying minutes it was already over. Celta's win left Valencia out of the top four, and with debts hanging over their heads they can't afford to miss out on the Champions League next season. But with hard games coming up, that might now happen.