Valencia earn point at Barca

Barcelona 1 Valencia 1

Barcelona shook off a lacklustre first half to come from behind and claim a point against title rivals Valencia at the Nou Camp.

The two teams entered the game with 100% records and both demonstrated their title credentials in a match high on technical quality, if a little short on excitement.

Valencia were cagey in their approach, which was designed to stifle their opponents’ free-flowing game, and for the most part it worked.

David Villa opened the scoring after some incisive midfield play before substitute Andres Iniesta equalised at the start of a second half which Barca dominated.

Fernando Morientes, back in the Primera Liga after spending an unhappy 18 months with Liverpool, was only on the bench as Valencia coach Quique Sanchez Flores opted to pack his midfield and leave Villa as the lone forager up front.

Barcelona probed throughout the opening exchanges, but found a well-drilled Valencia defence, marshalled as expertly as ever by Roberto Ayala, blocking all their channels.

And it was Villa who made the breakthrough in the 17th minute, sliding in to meet the overlapping Luis Miguel’s brilliant centre from the right after Valencia had cut through Barca’s midfield with some intricate play.

Sanchez Flores’ tactics appeared spot on as Barca found a Valencia a suffocating presence in the middle of the park.

Ronaldinho, forced to come in from the left flank to hunt for possession, found Xavi on the edge of the area, only for the midfielder to sidefoot over.

The Brazil playmaker forced Santiago Canizares into a flying save from a free-kick 20 yards out and Deco snaked his way into a shooting position only to pull the shot wide.

As half-time approached, the visitors could have doubled their advantage when Villa wriggled into a shooting position in the area and drilled the ball against Victor Valdes’ near post.

Samuel Eto’o, anonymous in the first half, got the second 45 underway with a rising drive that warmed Canizares’ palms and suggested a more purposeful approach from the defending champions.

Iniesta, on as a half-time substitute for Edmilson, then got the goal that Barca had been threatening in the opening moments of the second half.

Ronaldinho clipped a ball into Eto’o, who cushioned his header into the path of the onrushing Iniesta and he prodded the ball past Canizares for the 49th-minute leveller.

Barca had their opponents pinned back and Deco’s deflected, teasing effort was tipped round the post by Canizares.

The hosts’ passing was crisper in the second half and Valencia were reliant on their superb organisation to prevent Barca from slicing through at every turn.

Xavi’s header from Ronaldinho’s corner was comfortable for Canizares and Giovanni van Bronckhorst flashed a volley just past the post after Valencia failed to clear their lines.

Javier Saviola came on for his first appearance for Barcelona in two-and-a-half years as coach Frank Rijkaard chased a winner and the Argentina forward almost sidefooted home late on.