Barcelona 4 - Valladolid 1

Barcelona: Víctor Valdés; Zambrotta, Puyol, Thuram (Abidal 70'), Sylvinho; Xavi, Touré Yaya (Gudjohnsen 60'), Iniesta; Bojan (Pedrito 85'), Eto'o, Henry. 4-3-3.
Valladolid: Sergio Asenjo; Pedro López, Javier Baraja, Rafa, Marcos; Alvaro Rubio, Camacho (Víctor 73'); Kome (Sisi 64'), Vivar Dorado, Jonathan Sesma; Llorente (Manchev 59'). 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Barça: Zambrotta, Sylvinho, Touré Yaya, Henry for Milito, Abidal, Edmilson, Gudjohnsen / Valladolid: Pedro López, Javier Baraja, Rafa, Marcos, Jonathan Sesma for Cifuentes, Iñaki Bea, García Calvo, Oscar Sánchez, Sisi.

Goals:
1-0. 23. Eto'o. Got free of marker to turn Bojan cross past Asenjo on far post.
1-1. 30. Jonathan Sesma (penalty). After Thuram tripped Llorente inside area.
2-1. 48. Iniesta. Rounded keeper to score after Bojan headed on long Touré pass.
3-1. 63. Bojan. Picked up ball after Puyol tackled and struck angled shot into net.
4-1. 83. Bojan. Turned ball in close to goal after Eto'o crossed in from right wing.

Second placed Barcelona closed up on leaders Real Madrid to four points after a comfortable 4-1 win over Valladolid. Frank Rijkaard's side had several chances early on, Sergio Asenjo saving from Bojan, Iniesta and Touré, Baraja clearing off the line from Bojan and Henry heading just wide. Eto'o turned in Bojan's cross midway through the first half to open the scoring, and Asenjo had to keep out Iniesta soon afterwards to prevent the locals from going further ahead.

The visitors equalised though from the penalty spot after Llorente fell under a challenge from Thuram before the break, Jonathan Sesma converting the kick. And after Valdés had to save from Rubio later in the first half, there were some protests from the crowd at half time. But Iniesta restored the lead just a couple of minutes after the restart after Bojan headed on Touré's long ball, and Asenjo did well to fist out a dangerous Touré free kick a few minutes later.

Bojan made it three with an angled shot after the defence failed to clear a Xavi free kick, referee Paradas Romero turning down appeals for offside, and Eto'o somehow put an effort over the bar from a yard out. Sesma hit the post though and Manchev had a goal ruled out for a borderline offside, but soon afterwards Eto'o got free down the right and crossed in for Bojan to tap in on the far post. Barça were back on track and Mendilibar's side are back in trouble, only out of the bottom three thanks to a better goal difference than Recreativo.