First Division - Day 35

Espanyol 0 - Valencia 2

Espanyol: Kameni; Roncaglia, Jordi Amat, Víctor Ruíz, Didac; Moisés Hurtado, Verdú (Marqués 66'); Callejón (Coro 81'), Iván Alonso (Azrack 46'), Luis García; Osvaldo. 4-2-3-1.
Valencia: César; Miguel, Marchena, Maduro, Jordi Alba; Albelda, Manuel Fernandes; Joaquín (Pablo Hernández 83'), Banega, Vicente (Mata 85'); David Villa (Zigic 58'). 4-2-3-1.

Goals:
0-1. 61. Zigic. Got ahead of marker to sweep Vicente's cross past Kameni.
0-2. 73. Zigic. Beat keeper with angled shot after Joaquín headed on Mata cross.

Yellow cards: Moisés 03', Roncaglia 73', Luis García 87'.

Valencia are moving ever closer to tying up third spot, and they are now nine points clear of fourth place after a 0-2 victory at Espanyol. The Catalans had not let in a goal at home since the mid-point of the season, and they had the better of the first half, with Moisés, Osvaldo and Luis García all failing to find the target. But Quique replaced a tired Villa with Zigic, and within minutes the big man had transformed the game. On the hour mark he opened the scoring after connecting with Vicente's cross, and soon afterwards he headed a rebound in to the net after Banega's shot came back off the woodwork, only to see the goal incorrectly ruled out for offside. And with twenty minutes to go Zigic got his second of the evening after Joaquín headed on Mata's cross to hand the locals their first home defeat since early December.