valencia-soccer news

Valencia take advantage of Madrid draw to go second

Valencia  moved up to second place Saturday in the Spanish 'Liga' with a 1-0 win at Celta Vigo.

Valencia took full advantage of Real Madrid's disappointing 1-1 draw earlier in the evening at home to Real Sociedad.

The results leave both Valencia and Real with 59 points from 32 games. Real have a superior goal difference, but Valencia are now above them due to the Spanish direct results system.

Valencia won in Vigo in their classic style, with a solitary goal and some solid defending.

The goal came in the 29th minute, when a long shot from Miguel Angel Angulo was let in by shaky Celta keeper Jose Pinto.

The hosts then dominated possession but failed to break down the meanest defence in Spain of the last five years.

'I would have liked us to have attacked more tonight,' said Valencia coach Quique Sanchez Flores.

'But the important thing is the result, which allows us to recover second place.'

The defeat leaves Celta in sixth place with 51 points, their dream of returning to the Champions League in jeopardy.

Two hours earlier in Madrid, Real had to settle for just one point against Real Sociedad.

Ronaldo had shot the 'galacticos' into the lead in the 26th minute, volleying home a free-kick from Zinedine Zidane.

It was Ronaldo's 100th goal in white but did little to improve his torrid relationship with the critical Bernabeu fans. Midway through the second half Ronadlo limped off with a thigh strain.

Sociedad came out of their shell in the second half and deservedly levelled in the 62nd minute. Real keeper Iker Casillas clumsily dropped a centre from Xabi Prieto, and Mark Gonzalez gladly turned in the rebound.

Real came forward again at the end but were hamstrung by the sending-off of midfielder Guti Hernandez. Once again, they were booed off the field by their long-suffering 'aficionados'.

'I think we deserved a draw at the very least,' said Sociedad keeper Asier Riesgo. 'We worked really hard tonight.'

The draw leaves Sociedad third from bottom with 32 points. Second from bottom on 28 points are Cadiz, who were held to a 1-1 draw by Betis.

In Saturday's other match, bottom team Malaga suffered a depressing last-minute 2-1 defeat at home to Getafe, which leaves them with just 23 points and practically down.

Both of Getafe's goals were put away by Serbian striker Veljko Paunovic and will boost his hopes of going to the World Cup finals.