Angulo's spectacular goal lifts Valencia

Zaragoza's Juan Francisco Garcia(R) fights for the ball with Valencia's Miguel Angel Angulo during their Spanish league football match at La Romareda stadium in Zaragoza. Valencia continued their recovery after a recent bout of bad form with a crucial 1-0 away win at Real Zaragoza thanks to a outstanding goal from Angulo.

Valencia continued their recovery after a recent bout of bad form with a crucial 1-0 away win at Real Zaragoza thanks to a outstanding goal from Miguel Angel Angulo.

Angulo scored one of the most spectacular goals of the Spanish season so far when he got the only goal of the game after 42 minutes to move Valencia, Spanish champions twice in the last five years, up to sixth.

The Spanish international winger saw that Zaragoza keeper Cesar Perez was just slightly out of position and lashed the ball into the net with a stunning right foot shot from 30 metres and a difficult angle out on the right wing.

"I saw that Cesar was off his line but you still need a bit of luck when you are trying to get a goal from that distance," admitted Angulo. "At least we are now back on the road to the top places."

Zaragoza tried in the second half to break down Valencia's solid defence but Curro Torres had an outstanding game, which will increase calls for him to be recalled to the Spanish national side after last playing at the 2002 World Cup.

The home side eventually ran out of ideas up front despite the best efforts of their Argentine playmaker Pablo Aimar, who was playing for the first time against his former club where he spent six seasons.

Valencia's Luis Miguel Brito(L) fights for the ball with Zaragoza's Pablo Aimar(R) during their Spanish league football match at La Romareda stadium in Zaragoza. Valencia continued their recovery after a recent bout of bad form with a crucial 1-0 away win at Real Zaragoza thanks to a outstanding goal from Miguel Angel Angulo.

There was clearly no love lost between Aimar and his former teammates, with a series of crunching tackles commited on and by Aimar.

Athletic Bilbao eased their relegation fears with a 2-0 victory, both goals coming from Javi Martinez, at Deportivo La Coruna earlier on Sunday.

"This is just what we needed. Three points is always an important aspirin," commented a relieved Athletic coach Mane Esnal, although his team still remain just one place above the bottom three.

Athletic are one of only three teams - Barcelona and Real Madrid being the others - who have been ever-present since the start of the Spanish first division in 1928.

Martinez made an early contribution towards Athletic's third win of the season when he headed the Basques ahead after just eight minutes, connecting with an Andoni Iraola corner.

Deportivo tried desperately to get an equaliser but their chances of salvaging a late draw were reduced when Juanma Delgado was sent off for his second yellow card seven minutes from the whistle.

Martinez then took advantage of Deportivo's defensive deficiency by getting with his second goal of the night three minutes into injury time, going unhindered into the box before firing home from close range.

Zaragoza's Pablo Aimar(R) fights for the ball with Valencia's David Albelda(L) during their Spanish league football match at La Romareda stadium in Zaragoza. Valencia continued their recovery after a recent bout of bad form with a crucial 1-0 away win at Real Zaragoza thanks to a outstanding goal from Miguel Angel Angulo.

Racing Santander also put some space between themselves and the relegation zone with a 2-1 win at Real Mallorca.

Mallorca's Bosko Jankovic put the hosts ahead after 16 minutes, hammering home a Juan Arango pass from close range.

Arango also had two good chances to put Mallorca further ahead in the first half but Racing hit back after the break with Ruben Castro and Javier Balboa getting their first league goals for Racing.

Ruben, who moved from Deportivo during the summer, headed home an Ezequiel Garay cross just after the hour then former Real Madrid reserve Balboa secured the win with a shot from just inside the area three minutes from time.

Sevilla are looking to take advantage of the absence of Spanish league leaders Barcelona and win at Recreativo Huelva on Sunday to go to the top of the first division.

Barcelona, who will play in the World Club Cup final in Japan on Sunday, have a two-point advantage which Sevilla could overhaul if they can beat their local rivals.

Real Madrid lie third, two points further back from their fellow championship challengers, but have a tricky trip to Espanyol on Sunday.

"We'll be facing a team that has gone 10 games unbeaten. They are a good team with players of the quality of (Spanish internationals) Ivan De La Pena and Raul Tamudo," reflected Real coach Fabio Capello on Saturday.

Madrid will be without their suspended former England captain David Beckham.