sorry, I didn't see the match. Can anyone gimme a quick report of what happened?
abt Aimar? He got a muscular strain :graon:
Abt match? ....
Saturday, September 18, 2004
Valencia 3-1 Real Sociedad: FT Report
PA
VALENCIA, September 18 (Primera Liga) - Italian striker Marco Di Vaio was the hero of the night as reigning Primera Liga champions Valencia cruised to a comfortable win over Real Sociedad.
Although he missed chances early in the game, Di Vaio scored headers after 36 and 50 minutes to set his side on course against a Real Sociedad who look destined to suffer another season battling against relegation.
Miguel Mista scored Valencia's third of the night while Mikel Arteta opened his account since returning to Spain by scoring Real Sociedad's consolation goal from the penalty spot.
However, Valencia suffered one setback on the night as Pablo Aimar limped off after setting Di Vaio up for the second goal with what looked like a muscle injury.
Valencia coach Claudio Ranieri opted to rest midfielder David Albelda, but decided to give Aimar his first Primera Liga start of the season, while Real's Jose Mari Amorrortu went into the game with a side affected by injuries.
Striker Darko Kovacevic was sidelined with an Achilles tendon injury while Oscar de Paula and central defender Igor Jauregi were also out.
That saw Nihat Kahveci play as a lone striker, while Arteta played an attacking midfield role in front of Mikel Alonso and Bittor Alkiza.
Valencia could have been three up after just 12 minutes but Di Vaio wasted two chances.
He first chipped straight at Real goalkeeper Asier Riesgo with just five minutes on the clock and then fired wide of the keeper's far post when set through by Ruben Baraja.
Vicente Rodriguez then hit the Real crossbar with Valencia dominating the opening stages of a game Real Sociedad were struggling to come to terms with.
Kovacevic's absence meant they were unable to hit any long passes and looking lightweight in attack, the visitors' best chances came from set pieces hit by Nihat and Arteta.
However, although Di Vaio saw another shot fly wide midway through the half, Real Sociedad gradually got their passing game together and began to get into the game.
Nevertheless, it Valencia who look the lead after 36 minutes.
Vicente hit a curling free kick from the right and Di Vaio's neat run earned him a free header at the near post, which he planted past the helpless Riesgo.
The Real Sociedad keeper saved his side from going two-goals down after 43 minutes, when Vicente's run down the left saw the ball sit up nicely for Miguel Angel Angulo on the edge of the area only for Riesgo to tip his shot inches past the post.
He could do nothing to stop Di Vaio scoring the second goal of the night after five minutes of the second half.
Aimar scurried down the left and had time and space to curl an inch-perfect cross to the Italian who planted his header into the back of the net.
Unfortunately for Valencia that was Aimar's last contribution to the game as he seemed to have picked up a strain and was replaced by Mista, back in the squad after Ranieri had sidelined him in recent games.
Mista celebrated his return to action by scoring his side's third of the night after 73 minutes with a neat far post header from Curro Torres' bouncing cross.
Arteta scored a penalty for Real 10 minutes from time after Emiliano Moretti handled Valery Karpin's cross.