Valencia 2 - Real Murcia 0

Valencia: Cañizares; Curro Torres, Ayala, Pellegrino, Carboni (Garrido 87'); Rufete (Jorge López 72'), Baraja, Albelda, Vicente; Juan Sánchez (Xisco 57'), Mista. 4-4-2.
Real Murcia: Juanmi; Valera, Azkárate, Cuadrado, Loeschbor, Clavero; Richi (Gancedo 27'), Acciari, Maciel, Luis García (Michel 64'); David Karanka (Juárez 75'). 5-4-1.

Team changes: Valencia: Ayala, Pellegrino, Baraja, Juan Sánchez, Mista for David Navarro, Marchena, Sissoko, Angulo, Xisco / Murcia: Valera, Azkárate, Maciel, Richi, for Juanma, Jensen, Gancedo, Michel.

Goals:
1-0. 73. Pellegrino. Powerful header past Juanmi from Jorge López corner.
2-0. 82. Mista. Fired shot low past Juanmi after Loeschbor failed to head clear.

Valencia stay a point behind leaders Real Madrid after a 2-0 win over bottom club Real Murcia in the last match of the weekend. John Toshack's side put up a good defensive performance though, and it was not until a quarter of an hour from the end that the locals managed to find the route to goal. And although they never really troubled Cañizares, the visitors also had their chances, with the solitary figure of David Karanka up front always waiting for a slip from the Valencia back four.

Only Mista and Albelda got anywhere near Juanmi's goal in the first half, and Rafa Benítez took off a disappointing Juan Sánchez early in the second half. The locals were missing the injured Aimar, but Jorge López returned to the side, and his first kick of the ball after replacing Rufete led to the opening goal, Pellegrino getting on the end of his corner to head home his first goal in around two years. That forced Murcia to come out, and Mista took advantage to score a second a few minutes later, his eighteenth of the season in the league, to round off the result.