Valencia 2 - Celta Vigo 2

Valencia: Cañizares; Curro Torres, David Navarro, Ayala, Carboni; Marchena, Baraja; Jorge López (Rufete 81'), Aimar, Vicente (Canobbio 39'); Mista (Oliveira 69'). 4-2-3-1.
Celta: Cavallero; Velasco, Cáceres, Berizzo (Sergio 89'), Sylvinho; Luccin, José Ignacio (Borja Oubiña 74'); Jesuli (Angel 92'), Mostovoi, Juanfran; Milosevic. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Valencia: David Navarro, Jorge López for Albelda, Rufete / Celta: None.

Goals:
1-0. 42. Aimar. steered head back past keeper from Carboni's cross..
1-1. 56. Berizzo. Latched onto ball on edge of area and whipped shot into net.
1-2. 65. Jesuli. Ran through defence to place shot low past Cañizares.
2-2. 68. Canobbio. Hit soft shot inside near post wrong-footing keeper.

Valencia failed to take advantage of slip-ups by Deportivo and Real Madrid as they were held to a 2-2 draw by one of their bogey teams, Celta. The Galicians have usually got a good result in the Mestalla stadium, and once again they left with a point which could have been three at one stage of the match.

The game started with a ten minute delay as Celta had got themselves stuck in a traffic jam and had only arrived at the ground 30 minutes before kick off. And things almost went against them early on when Vicente was brought down by Cáceres in the area, bur referee Pino Zamorano waved play on. The Spanish international winger injured himself in the play though, and after limping along for half an hour or so, he was eventually replaced by Canobbio.

Otherwise though the first half was very dull, at least up until three minutes before the break when Baraja sent Carboni off down the left wing. The Italian veteran found the head of the Aimar for him to place a header past Cavallero and open the scoring, even though the keeper did get a finger to the ball. That woke the game up, and Mista and Canobbio could both have scored before the break had Cavallero not been at his best.

It was a different picture in the second half though, and within twenty minutes the visitors had turned the scoreline around. Berizzo started things off with a spectacular shot into the top corner of the net, and an inspired Jesuli waltzed through the defence to put Lotina's side ahead.

The lead only lasted three minutes though before Valencia levelled, Canobbio appearing to mis-hit his shot from close up but as a result wrong-footing Cavallero and scoring inside the near post. After that it was anybody's game, with both sides having chances but nobody quite able to convert. In the end a fair result, although Valencia will rue the fact that they could be leading the table by now if they had won.