Real Sociedad 0 - Valencia 1

Real Sociedad: Bravo; López Rekarte, Mikel González, Víctor López, Garrido; Juanito, Aranburu; Jesuli (Savio 51'), Uranga (Herrera 71'), Xabi Prieto; Kovacevic (Skoubo 63'). 4-2-3-1.
Valencia: Cañizares, Miguel, Ayala, Marchena, Curro Torres; Angulo (Joaquín 82'), Raúl Albiol, Albelda, David Silva; David Villa (Hugo Viana 92'), Morientes (Vicente 71'). 4-4-2.

Team changes: Real: Víctor López, Garrido for Gerardo, Garitano / Valencia: Marchena for Baraja.

Goals:
0-1. 28. David Villa. Fired long free kick over defensive wall wide of Bravo.

Valencia moved back up to fourth in the table, just two points behind the top three, after beating Real Sociedad 0-1 for a sixth straight win in a row. David Villa had been going through a bit of a goal drought, and had never scored in the Anoeta stadium, but only a top class save from Bravo kept out his early free kick. And after the referee ruled out a headed goal from Aranburu, the Spanish international striker curled another free kick over the wall and past the local keeper to open the scoring.

Real felt themselves unlucky not to have a penalty when Jesuli's shot hit a defender on the arm, and Uranga headed just wide before the break. But Villa came close to making it two just a few minutes after the restart, and Lotina turned to new signings Savio and Herrera, and also to Skoubo, who had just recovered from a long injury. Savio could have saved a point with a bit more luck, at first with a shot which Ayala cleared off the line, and then with a free kick which came back off the bar with Cañizares beaten. But it was not to be, and the Basque side find themselves six points away from safety at the midpoint of the season.