Valencia 2 - Athletic Bilbao 2

Valencia: Cañizares; Caneira, Marchena, Ayala (Angulo 84'), Moretti; Albelda, Baraja; Fiore, Aimar, Fabio Aurelio (Mista 46'); Di Vaio. 4-2-3-1.
Athletic: Aranzubia; Casas, Gurpegui, Luis Prieto, Del Horno; Orbaiz, Tiko; Iraola (Solabarrieta 88'), Etxeberría (Julen Guerrero 90'), Javi González; Ezquerro (Llorente 82'). 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Valencia: Baraja, Fabio Aurelio, Di Vaio for Carboni, Rufete, Mista / Athletic: Casas, Del Horno, Tiko, Iraola for Lacruz, Murillo, Yeste, Llorente.

Goals:
0-1. 31. Iraola (penalty). After Del Horno's cross hit Caneira's arm in penalty area.
0-2. 60. Ezquerro. Controlled Iraola pass with left foot and fired shot in with right.
1-2. 73. Mista. Glancing header close to goal after Baraja headed ball on.
2-2. 81. Di Vaio. Got on the end of Aimar's cross to head past keeper on far post.

Third placed Valencia ended the weekend fourteen points behind leaders Barcelona and seven behind Real Madrid after drawing 2-2 at home to Athletic Bilbao. In the end however they were thankful to even save a point after coming back from two down in the last twenty minutes.

For a few minutes the locals were looking good, Di Vaio and Fabio Aurelio both going close. But the Basque side gradually took command, and they went ahead with a controversial Iraola penalty on the half hour mark, referee Pérez Burrull pointing to the spot after Del Horno's cross hit Caneira on the arm with his back turned. Di Vaio almost levelled the scores with an effort against the post, and the first half came to an end in uproar after Ayala appeared to elbow Orbaiz in the face.

Ranieri replaced Fabio Aurelio with Mista at the break, an unpopular move with the crowd as the Brazilian wide man had been playing well. And his side went further behind when Ezquerro juggled with Iraola's through ball and fired a shot past Cañizares, his sixteenth of the season in all competitions.

Valencia came good in the end though, Mista finishing off from close up after Baraja headed the ball over the defence, and Di Vaio getting his first league goal in almost four months, heading Aimar's pinpoint cross in on the far post. Ayala finally got clobbered and limped off, but the hosts came close to winning the match with Baraja and Angulo both having shots blocked. It would have been too much though, and in the end a draw was a fair result.