Valencia back on track

Silva returns to action at Mestalla

Last updated: 13th December 2008   Subscribe to RSS Feed

Valencia back on track

Silva: Injury return

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Valencia got their title bid back on track as they came from behind to defeat ten-man Espanyol 2-1 at home on Saturday to move second in La Liga.

Substitute Vicente, only on the pitch seven minutes, struck an 81st minute winner for the hosts after Raul Albiol had cancelled out Roman Martinez's opener for the visitors.

Francisco Rufete, who won two league titles as a Valencia player in 2002 and 2004, had a nightmare return to the Mestalla stadium after getting his marching orders shortly before half-time for a deliberate handball.

Valencia had been crushed 4-0 by Barcelona last weekend so the win was much-needed and another boost was the return of Spanish international David Silva after three months out following ankle surgery.

In the build-up to the match all the talk had centred on Valencia's reported financial crisis, with speculation that their prize assets David Villa and Silva would be sold to balance the books in January.

Silva, a target for Manchester United in pre-season, started on the substitutes' bench but came on after an hour replacing Joaquin.