Espanyol 2 - Valencia 0

Espanyol: Kameni; Zabaleta (Chica 84'), Jarque, Torrejón, David García; Valdo, Moisés Hurtado, De la Peña (Angel Martínez 36'), Riera; Luis García, Jonathan Soriano (Lola 71'). 4-4-2.
Valencia: Hildebrand; Caneira, Raúl Albiol, Iván Helguera (Baraja 57'), Moretti; Maduro, Banega; Joaquín, David Silva (Zigic 73'), Mata (Vicente 60'); David Villa. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Espanyol: Zabaleta, De la Peña, Jonathan Soriano for Chica, Angel Martínez, Ewerthon / Valencia: Iván Helguera for Marchena.

Goals:
1-0. 03. Luis García. Won ball off Hildebrand and turned shot into empty net.
2-0. 51. Luis García (penalty). After David Silva brought down Valdo inside area.

Espanyol moved back above Sevilla to fifth after a 2-0 win over Valencia in the last match on Saturday evening, ending a run of three home defeats in a row. Luis García got both goals for the Catalans, the first in the third minute after getting ahead of Hildebrand to reach Jonathan Soriano's headed pass from Torrejón's long centre. Jonathan could have scored a second a few minutes later when he rounded the keeper only to shoot wide, and the visitors replied with a long shot from David Villa which Kameni did well to hold on to.

Six minutes in to the second half Luis García made it two from the penalty spot after Valdo was pulled down by David Silva. And the Spanish international striker was denied his hat-trick when Hildebrand got a hand to his shot soon afterwards. Ronald Koeman went for broke, bring on Baraja, Vicente and then Zigic, but with a quarter of an hour to go his side were left with ten men when Maduro was shown a second yellow card. The defeat left the Chés four points away from the UEFA Cup spots pending Sunday's games, and their best chance for a return to Europe now seems to lie with the Copa del Rey after their draw down the road at the Nou Camp midweek.