Valencia 2 - Málaga 1

Valencia: Cañizares; Miguel, Ayala, Moretti, Fabio Aurelio; Albelda, Baraja (Hugo Viana 87'); Angulo, Di Vaio (Regueiro 63'), Vicente (Rufete 91'); Mista. 4-2-3-1.
Málaga: Arnau; Alexis (Hidalgo 72'), César Navas, Fernando Sanz, Valcarce; Edgar, Gerardo, Juan Rodríguez (Anderson Silva 60'), Nacho; Chengue Morales (Pablo Couñago 70'), Salva. 4-4-2.

Team changes: Valencia: Miguel, Fabio Aurelio, Albelda, Angulo, Di Vaio, Mista for Caneira, Marchena, Raúl Albiol, Rufete, Aimar, David Villa / Málaga: Chengue Morales for Anderson Silva.

Goals:
1-0. 09. Ayala. Fired shot in on follow up after defence failed to clear corner.
2-0. 67. Vicente. Took Angulo pass and struck shot which ballooned off defender.
2-1. 74. Salva. Got ahead of defence to turn in Nacho cross on near post.

Valencia are back up to fifth in the table after beating Málaga 2-1. Ayala opened the scoring for the Chés in the ninth minute after the defence only partly cleared a Baraja header following a corner, the first goal the defender has scored in the Mestalla stadium. But for the rest of the first half the action disappeared, the only things to excite the crowd a possible penalty on ex Valencia striker Salva and a cross from Angulo which Arnau turned for a corner.

With Villa suspended and Aimar injured, Quique Flores gave a run out to Mista and Di Vaio up front. And both came close as the home side turned up the pace after the restart, the former shooting wide and then hitting the crossbar, and the latter bringing a good save out of Arnau in between.

Midway through the second half Vicente added a second somewhat fortunately when his shot ballooned off the foot of Fernando Sanz over the head of Arnau, and the Spanish international winger could have had a couple more a few minutes later had the keeper not been at his best.

But with a quarter of an hour to go Salva got on the end of Nacho's cross to pull one back, and Cañizares was called upon to make first class saves from a Couñago header and a Hidalgo free kick as the visitors pushed forward. The last chance though fell to Angulo, Arnau once again keeping him out, and soon afterwards the referee called it a day.