Valencia 3 - Zaragoza 2

Valencia: Cañizares; Curro Torres, Ayala, Pellegrino, Carboni; Albelda, Baraja (Sissoko 86'); Jorge López, Aimar, Vicente (Rufete 75'); Mista (Xisco 71'). 4-2-3-1.
Zaragoza: Lainez; Rebosio, Milito, Alvaro, Toledo; Jesús (Generelo 72'), Soriano; Galletti, David Villa, Savio (Cani 77'); Iban Espadas (Iñaki 66'). 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Valencia: Jorge López, Aimar for Rufete, Oliveira / Zaragoza: Lainez, Milito, Jesús, Iban Espadas for Valbuena, Cuartero, Ponzio, Corona.

Goals:
1-0. 20. Jorge López. Picked up ball on edge of area and ran through to score.
2-0. 27. Vicente. First time shot after Lainez blocked effort from Aimar.
3-0. 45. Aimar. Dipping shot from edge of area which took deflection off Milito.
3-1. 48. David Villa. Picked up short pass from Espadas and shot wide of keeper.
3-2. 79. Cani. Placed shot into corner of net after defence failed to clear cross.

Valencia returned to the top of the table after they beat Zaragoza 3-2 and their close rivals Real Madrid and Deportivo both dropped points. With Aimar conducting the orchestra, Rafa Benítez's side raced into a three goal lead by half time. The Argentine midfielder had a hand in all three, with Jorge López the quickest to react when the ball fell loose in the area to stab home the first, and Vicente shooting past Lainez after the keeper had charged down Aimar's effort. And Aimar himself got the third with a shot which came off his colleague in the Argentina side, Milito.

Nobody gave a chance for the visitors, but only three minutes in to the second half David Villa finished off a good team move to beat Cañizares. The local keeper had to be at his best a couple of minutes later to keep out an effort from Galletti which was heading for the top corner, and suddenly it was game on. Valencia slowed the game down, but substitute Cani scored a second goal just two minutes after coming on, setting up a nailbiting last ten minutes in which Cani himself could have equalised if he had been able to reach Iñaki's dangerous cross.