Miguel Angel Angulo's spectacular 42nd-minute goal gave Valencia a 1-0 victory over Zaragoza in the Spanish league on Saturday, a second straight win that seemed to signal an end to its recent struggles.
Spain midfielder Angulo took the ball down the right side before unleashing a fierce shot from 30m which gave goalkeeper Cesar Sanchez no chance.
Valencia's win, despite the absence of seven injured players including veteran goalkeeper Santiago Canizares, follows last week's 4-0 win at home against Deportivo and appeared to indicate the club had shrugged off the form of its six-game league winless streak.
The 2002 and 2004 champion climbed to sixth place with 24 points, while Zaragoza's defeat, its second at home this season, left it in fourth place with 26.
Zaragoza forward Pablo Aimar and Valencia striker David Villa played against their former clubs for the first time.
However, Aimar was much more visible in a first half dominated by the home team until Angulo scored.
Valencia, which extended its unbeaten streak at Zaragoza to seven seasons, thwarted the home side in the second half and nearly doubled its advantage in the 77th -- halted when Cesar smothered another Angulo attempt.
Four minutes earlier, Valencia striker Fernando Morientes became the third player on the field to have played for both teams when he replaced left winger Vicente Rodriguez.
In Saturday's other games, Javi Martinez scored twice to give Athletic Bilbao a 2-0 win over Deportivo La Coruna, while Racing Santander beat Mallorca 2-1.
Bilbao's win continued its improvement under new coach Jose Manuel "Mane" Esnal.
Midfielder Martinez headed home from a corner in the eighth minute and doubled his tally in injury time in Bilbao's second victory in three games since Mane took charge on Nov. 28.
Deportivo's loss at the Riazor deepened its slump. After losing only one of its first seven games, Joaquin Caparros' side has not won in its last eight and dropped to 15th place.
Deportivo defender Juanma Delgado received his second yellow card in the 83rd minute and suffered his second ejection in a week.
Santander rallied at Real Mallorca to leave the host's with just one victory in the past seven games.
Mallorca midfielder Bosko Jankovic opened the scoring in the 16th minute with his fifth goal of the season, and Santander defender Ruben Gonzalez headed a 64th-minute equalizer.
Forward Javier Balboa, on loan from Real Madrid, scored Santander's winner in the 88th.
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