Mallorca 0 - Valencia 5

Mallorca: Leo Franco; Olaizola, Nadal, Fernando Niño, David Cortés; Campano (Lussenhoff 10'), Nagore, Colsa, Stankovic (Toni González 13'); Eto'o, Correa (Jesús Perera 50'). 4-4-2.
Valencia: Cañizares; Ayala, Pellegrino, David Navarro, Carboni; Albelda, Baraja (Sissoko 46'); Jorge López, Aimar (Xisco 73'), Canobbio (Rufete 60'); Oliveira. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Mallorca: No change / Valencia: Pellegrino, David Navarro, Oliveira for Curro Torres, Marchena, Mista.

Goals:
0-1. 02. Jorge López (penalty). After Fernando Niño brought down Oliveira.
0-2. 07. Oliveira. Took pass from Aimar and beat Leo Franco.
0-3. 45. Oliveira. Ran through and chipped ball over keeper.
0-4. 71. Oliveira. Got on the end of Rufete cross to head past Leo Franco.
0-5. 87. Xisco. received pass from Albelda and placed shot inside post.

Valencia thrashed Mallorca 0-5 in the last match of the weekend to move back to the top of the table, ahead of Real Madrid on goal difference. Both sides have UEFA cup ties coming up Next Thursday, and Rafa Benítez at least decided to rest some of his key players, with Marchena and Curro Torres given a break in defence and Mista sitting alongside them on the bench. That meant that Oliveira returned up front, and although there were some misgivings amongst the fans, he was to prove the star of the match.

The Brazilian striker was in action right from the start, and with less than a minute on the clock he burst through the defence only to be brought down from behind by Fernando Niño. Although it was virtually the first play of the match, referee Iturralde González had no hesitation in sending off the local defender and awarding a penalty which Jorge López converted. And five minutes later Oliveira was there again to pick up Aimar's through ball and score his side's second.

Luis Aragonés decided that he would have to take drastic action, and almost immediately made two substitutions, bringing on Lussenhoff and Toni González to shore up the defence. And for a few minutes it seemed that Spanish football's oldest sage had worked his magic again, with Cañizares having to save from Correa's header and Eto'o hitting the post. But then with the half time looming it was Oliveira again who used his pace to get through the defence and make it three, and it was all over.

Some home fans did in fact leave the San Moix stadium at the break, but the rest stayed on and at least saw Nadal, Eto'o and Lussenhoff put Cañizares to the test. But Valencia needed another goal at least to get ahead of Real Madrid in the table, and Oliveira obliged with a header from Rufete0s cross to complete his hat-trick. Substitute Xisco got in on the act as well with a fifth goal near the end, leaving Mallorca further down in the relegation spots, their win midweek at Deportivo already a distant memory.