There were plenty of goals and drama at the Mestalla as the referee awarded three penalties while the woodwork denied Getafe three goals but helped Valencia score one.

First Half

Valencia coach, Unai Emery was forced to field an improvised backline but they attacked straight from the opening whistle, winning a freekick right on the edge of the ‘D’ just 30 seconds in but David Villa could only smack his attempt straight into the wall.

But the first shot on target fell to Getafe on seven minutes when Manu del Moral chested down Ikechukwu Uche’s flick-on and rattled in a volley, but Cesar made a flying save to parry the ball away.

El Geta continued to create openings and on 15 minutes, Cortes whipped in a pin-point cross from the right for Manu, who volleyed his low shot just wide at the near post.

Valencia really should have taken the lead in the 18th minute when Villa crashed a free header just over the bar from five yards out after a glorious build up. Manu Fernandes pirouetted past Fabio Celestini in midfield, sprayed it wide to Pablo Hernandez, who curled in a cross but ‘El Guaje’ uncharacteristically missed the mark.

But two minutes later, Los Che went infront. David Silva dinked a sumptuous chip over the Geta defence and Juan Mata, staying onside, brought it down superbly with his left foot before coolly slotting his shot past Jacobo Sanz with his right.

The hosts were on the prowl again as they pressed forward straight away. Mata turned creator this time when he drilled in a diagonal low cross from the left for Villa, who rifled in his shot first time but Jacobo stood firm at the near post to swat the attempt away.

But from the ensuing short corner, Valencia made it 2-0 when Silva was brought down by Licht inside the box and referee Clos Gomez did not hesitate pointing to the spot. Villa stepped up and made no mistakes to score his 20th league goal of the season when he sent his penalty right down the middle as Jacobo dived right.

Getafe almost pulled one back on the hour mark. Celestini threaded in a through ball to Soldado, but the ex-Real Madrid striker smashed his shot against the upright with Cesar well beaten.

Neither side created any clear-cut chances after that but a minute before the break, the Mestalla exploded again when Villa tapped the ball into an empty net after an intricate inter-play with Mata, but the flag had gone up for offside.

Second Half

The first 15 minutes of the restart produced end-to-end drama. Just two minutes in, Jacobo was forced to make a superb double save; the first, a point-blank block to deny Mata’s close range effort and his second, an acrobatic dive to tip Pablo’s follow-up over the bar.

But on 48 minutes, Los Azulones pulled one back when they were given a penalty after David Albelda and Michel clattered into Uche. Casquero stepped up and rolled the ball into the bottom left corner to bring the game back to life.

Moments later, the visitors came close to drawing levelled when Esteban Granero ran onto del Moral’s through ball but he smashed his shot from angle against the outside of the post.

As Victor Munoz’s men grew in confidence, Valencia restored their two goal advantage completely against the run of play on 55 minutes. Makeshift right-back Raul Albiol charged forward unchallenged and unleashed a speculative low shot with his left foot from 20 yards out and it cannoned in off the inside of the post.

But more was to come. Right on the hour mark, Valencia were awarded their second penalty on the night when Villa tried to round Jacobo in a one-on-one but the goalkeeper brought down the striker with a trailing arm. The referee gave the Geta shot-stopper his marching orders, but his substitute, Oscar Ustari almost saved Villa’s spotkick but ‘El Guaje’ had just enough power in his shot to guide the ball into the back of the net.

Three minutes after that, Getafe saw another attempt at goal denied by the woodwork when del Moral’s 25 yard thunderbolt on the right channel left Cesar sprawling as the shot clipped the top of the bar.

With the game wrapped up, the intensity of the match fizzled out, although Pablo almost made it five for the hosts in injury time when he rocketed a missile from 20 yards out but his shot just sailed inches over the bar.

The win, only Valencia’s second in their last eight league outings, allowed them to capitalise on the slip-ups by Villarreal and Atletico Madrid as they move to within two points of El Submarino in the final Champions League qualifying spot.

TEAMS

Valencia (4-4-2): Cesar – Albiol, Maduro, Albelda, Moretti – Pablo, Manu Fernandes, Michel (Edu, 60’), Mata – Silva (Vicente, 77’), Villa (Morientes, 73’)

Unused subs: Joaquin, Carleto, Miguel, Guaita

Getafe (4-4-2): Jacobo – Cortes, Belenguer, Mario, Licht (Casquero, 46’) – Del Moral, Celestini, Granero, Gavilan – Uche (Contra, 69’), Soldado (Ustari, 60’)

Unused subs: Albin, Cotelo, Rafa, Cata Diaz

VALENCIA 4-1 MALAGA

1-0: Valencia (Mata, 20’)

2-0: Valencia (Villa, 25’ pen.)

2-1: Getafe (Casquero, 49’ pen.)

3-1 Valencia (Albiol, 55’)

4-1: Valencia (Villa, 60’ pen.)

YELLOW CARDS

Valencia: Michel (35’)

Getafe: Mario (1’), Jacobo (24’, 58), Soldado (27’), Contra (71’)

RED CARD

Getafe: Jacobo (58’)