Valencia up the pressure with 1-0 win over Barca
(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-02-13 09:33

Midfielder Miguel Angel Angulo had a fierce shot beaten away by Valdes after he broke down the right and Mario Regueiro drove his follow-up into a defender after a quarter of an hour.

Regueiro looked certain to score five minutes later when he was put clear after the referee waved play on in midfield, but his shot drifted wide of the post.

The Barca keeper came to the rescue once again when he stood up well to block a close-range shot from Pablo Aimar after the Argentine had collected a long pass with his toe and pirouetted inside Edmilson.

But Valdes turned from hero to villain when he gifted Valencia the lead with his howler just before halftime.

Receiving a seemingly harmless back pass from Giovanni van Bronckhorst, he scuffed the ball into the path of Villa who chipped a first-time shot into the back of the net to take his tally for the season to 15.

Barca responded well after the break and laid siege to the Valencia area for most of the second period.

Keeper Santiago Canizares made one sharp save from Henrik Larsson as Valencia's determined rearguard kept the Catalans at bay and allowed them to extend their unbeaten run to 12 games.