Valladolid 1 - Barcelona 3

Valladolid: Bizzarri; Torres Gómez, Pablo Paz (Cardetti 67'), Jonathan, Marcos; Rafa (Julio César 46'), Ricchetti; Fernando Sales, Oscar González, Chema; Losada. 4-2-3-1.
Barcelona: Víctor Valdés; Gerard (Iniesta 78'), Oleguer, Reiziger, Motta; Xavi, Cocu, Davids; Luis García (Luis Enrique 22'), Saviola (Ocar López 67'), Ronaldinho. 4-3-3.

Team changes: Valladolid: Pablo Paz, Ricchetti, Chema for Peña, Caminero, Figueredo / Barça: Motta, Gerard for Márquez, Van Bronckhorst.

Goals:
0-1. 01. Saviola. Got on end of Reiziger's cross to turn ball in on near post.
0-2. 31. Ronaldinho. Picked up cross from Saviola and shot low across Bizzarri.
1-2. 66. Oscar González. Header past Valdés on far post from left sided corner.
1-3. 85. Iniesta. Took short pass from Luis Enrique and shot wide of keeper.

Fourth placed Barcelona kept up their unbeaten record in the second half of the season with a 1-3 win at Valladolid. Saviola gave Frank Rijkaard's side the lead in the first minute when he got on the end of Reiziger's pass to beat Bizzarri, and Davids could have had a second when he volleyed over the bar. Oscar brought out a good save from Víctor Valdés at the other end though and Ricchetti went close, and Rijkaard decided to change his formation only halfway through the first half, bringing on Luis Enrique for an angry Luis García.

Barça increased their lead though on the half hour mark, Motta and Saviola combining down the left wing to set up Ronaldinho. The Brazilian superstar blotted his copybook after the break though, getting himself sent off after referee Losantos Omar gave him a second booking for heading the ball out of Bizzarri's hands as he was lining up for a punt upfield.

Soon afterwards Oscar González pulled a goal back, and he almost levelled the scores a few minutes later when he hit the bar after Valdés had dropped the ball. But with five minutes to go substitute Iniesta picked up a short pass from Luis Enrique to wrap up the game with a third goal, his first for the club in the league. The result takes the Catalans above Deportivo pending their game on Sunday, and leaves Valladolid back down in the relegation struggle, six points above the bottom three having played a game more.