Sport-news-Deportivo La Coruña 1 - Valencia 2

Deportivo: Dudu Aouate; Coloccini, Lopo, Andrade, Felipe; Duscher (Taborda 68'), Sergio; Pablo Alvarez (Iago 73'), Juan Rodríguez, Riki (Adrián López 57'); Arizmendi. 4-2-3-1. Valencia: Cañizares; Miguel, Ayala, Raúl Albiol, Moretti; Marchena, Hugo Viana (Pallardó 94'); Joaquín (Gavilán 76'), Angulo (Jorge López 88'), David Silva; David Villa. 4-2-3-1.

Team changes: Depor: Coloccini, Pablo Alvarez for Manuel Pablo, Estoyanoff / Valencia: Cañizares, Hugo Viana for Butelle, Albelda.

Goals: 0-1. 39. Hugo Viana. Volleyed ball past Aouate after Silva shot blocked. 1-1. 69. Taborda. Turned ball into net after Capdevila headed back free kick 1-2. 74. David Silva. Connected with Angulo cross to fire shot past Aouate.

Fourth placed Valencia closed up on the leaders with a 1-2 win over Deportivo in the last match on Saturday evening. The home side needed the three points themselves to keep up their push for a UEFA cup spot, and they could have taken the lead in the opening minutes when Sergio brought a save out of Cañizares after intercepting a bad back pass, and when Arizmendi headed another chance wide. But David Silva hit the side netting at the other end, and shortly before the break Hugo Viana volleyed Quique Flores's side in front after Silva's cross was blocked by Lopo.

With his side not making any progress against Valencia's solid defence, Joaquín Caparrós turned to Taborda. It proved to be an inspired substitution, as the forward forced the ball into the net seconds later after Capdevila headed Sergio's free kick back across goal. Their joy only lasted five minutes though before David Villa led a rapid breakaway, the striker finding Angulo for him to drive a cross to the feet of Silva. That was enough to end Depor's run of three home victories in a row, and to give the Chés their first away win in seven. They are now only a point behind Real Madrid pending their game on Sunday.

Valencia 2-0 Recreativo de Huelva

Valencia have improved their chances of qualifying for next season's Champions League competition with a comfortable 2-0 victory against Recreativo de Huelva at the Mestalla last night.

After the first half had ended goalless, Joaquín (photo) broke the deadlock fifteen minutes after the break when he fired a low shot past the keeper from an acute angle after being picked out with a clever pass from the by-line delivered by David Villa. David Silva supplied the lobbed pass that led to Joaquín's second goal three minutes later when the former Betis winger bagged his third goal of the season with a close range volley into the roof of the net.

In last night's other game, Real Betis secured a valuable point in their relegation battle as they held Atletico Madrid, who lost Fernando Torres at the start of the second half when he was forced off with a serious-looking ankle injury, to a goalless draw at the Vicente Calderón. sport-news-valencia from think Spain.

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