Valencia 1 - Barcelona 0

Valencia: Cañizares; Miguel, Raúl Albiol, David Navarro, Moretti; Albelda, Baraja; Angulo (Rufete 80'), Aimar (Hugo Viana 89'), Regueiro (Fabio Aurelio 85'); David Villa. 4-2-3-1.
Barcelona: Víctor Valdés; Oleguer (Belletti 56'), Puyol, Márquez, Van Bronckhorst; Van Bommel (Sylvinho 71'), Edmilson, Iniesta; Giuly (Larsson 43'), Eto'o, Ezquerro. 4-3-3.

Team changes: Valencia: Baraja for Hugo Viana / Barça: Van Bronckhorst, Edmilson, Giuly, Eto'o, Ezquerro for Gabri, Sylvinho, Messi, Larsson, Deco.

Goals:
1-0. 44. Villa. Intercepted pass by Valdés and lobbed ball back over keeper's head.

Second placed Valencia beat leaders Barcelona 1-0 in the last match of the weekend to close the gap between the two to six points. It was a second defeat in a row and a third in five matches for Frank Rijkaard's side who were missing the suspended Ronaldinho, as well as the injured Deco, Messi and of course Xavi.

Eto'o returned to the side though after playing in the Africa cup, and Van Bommel and Ezquerro deputized for their missing colleagues. The two combined early on for Van Bommel to bring a fingertip save out of Cañizares, and Valdés had to keep out Angulo at the other end as the match got off to a lively start.

Regueiro came close to scoring when he chipped a shot past Valdés only for the ball to run wide of the far post, and Ezquerro and Van Bommel both tried their luck at the other end. Valdés saved well from Aimar after he battled through the defence, and Cañizares made the stop of the night low down form a Márquez header following a corner.

With the game approaching half time though, a dreadful mistake from Valdés gifted a goal to the home side, his weak pass out to Puyol being easily intercepted by David Villa, who lobbed the ball back over his head in to the net.

Barça tried their best to come back after the break, Larsson working his way through but seeing his shot blocked by a foot from Cañizares, and Edmilson heading a Van Bommel free kick just wide of the post. But Valencia held on to make it twelve games in a row without defeat, during which time they have taken 30 points. The league is not over yet.