Valencia 1 - Athletic Bilbao 1

Valencia: Cañizares, Miguel, David Navarro, Ayala, Cerra; Joaquín (Angulo 68'), Raúl Albiol, Edu (Hugo Viana 73'), David Silva; David Villa (Baraja 86'), Morientes. 4-4-2
Athletic: Lafuente; Murillo, Ustaritz, Sarriegui, Expósito (Llorente 80'); Yeste, Orbaiz, Javi Martínez, Gabilondo (Amorebieta 92'); Aduriz (Etxeberría 73'), Urzaiz. 4-4-2.

Team changes: Valencia: Miguel, David Navarro, Cerra, Morientes for Curro Torres, Moretti, Pallardó, Angulo / Athletic: Murillo, Expósito, Urzaiz for Iraola, Amorebieta, Etxeberría.

Goals:
1-0. 43. Morientes. Connected with square pass from Miguel to curl shot into net.
1-1. 90. Llorente. Got ahead of defence to head Etxeberría cross wide of keeper.

A last minute goal by Llorente in Valencia's Mestalla stadium earned a point for Athletic Bilbao and probably saved the head of coach Félix Sarriugarte. Both sides had been struggling of late, and chances were few and far between in the first half. Edu fired a long shot wide and Gabilondo shot straight at Cañizares when free in front of goal a few minutes later.

David Silva was celebrating his call up for Spain for the first time, and after having a penalty appeal turned down, he crossed in for David Villa to turn the ball in to the net only for the strike to be ruled out for offside. But with the first half coming to an end Morientes latched on to Miguel's deflected cross to curl a shot wide of Lafuente and put his side ahead.

After that though Quique Flores pulled his troops back to conserve the result, and apart from a long shot from Yeste over the bar there was little to shout about. Both coaches made substitutions, Baraja coming on for his first appearance of the season after a long injury, but it was the visitors' substitutes who made the difference, Etxeberría finding space to cross in for Llorente to steer a header past Cañizares in the last minute.

The result ensured the Basque side of keeping out of the drop zone by the end of the weekend, and took the hosts back up to the Champions League spots pending Sunday's games. But they have only won once now in the last five games, and the disappointed fans whistled their players off the park at the end.