Javad Nekounam makes season debut against Valencia

The game turned on its head in the 17th minute when Osasuna goalkeeper Ricardo was dismissed for a professional foul on David Villa, conceding a penalty in the process which Villa duly slotted home.

With a numerical disadvantage Osasuna never really troubled their fellow Primera Liga strugglers and any real hope of nicking a vital point evaporated when Juan Mata doubled Valencia's tally early in the second half.

Joaquin added a third with eight minutes remaining to put the icing on the cake and restore some much-needed confidence to Valencia after their 5-1 humbling at Athletic Bilbao last week.

That result - Los Che's fourth league defeat on the trot - spelled the end for former coach Ronald Koeman.

The big news before the Osasuna game was that Valencia outcasts David Albelda, Miguel Angel Angulo and Santiago Canizares were back in the fold - having been shunned by Koeman since just before Christmas.

Canizares took his spot between the posts from the start, while Angulo came on in the 85th minute.

Albelda will have just been glad to at least be on the bench after not featuring in any Valencia squad for over four months.

With both sides trying desperately to avoid defeat, it was a cautious start to the match and no real opportunity was carved out until the 17th minute when Ricardo brought down Villa.

The keeper was handed an instant red with Juan Elia coming off the bench to take up his place in goal at the expense of Juanfran.

Villa dusted himself off and dispatched the spot-kick to give his side the lead.

David Silva almost doubled the hosts' advantage shortly before the half-hour mark but his 25-yard effort was well caught by Elia.

Seconds later Osasuna came close to equalising as Cesar Azpilicueta curled a free-kick just over the bar from the edge of the area.

Villa came close to doubling his tally three minutes from the break but Elia did brilliantly to tip his 12-yard effort around the post.

The visitors refused to give up and almost grabbed an equaliser immediately after the restart but Jaroslav Plasil drilled his effort wide of the right upright from 20 yards.

Los Che doubled their lead after 51 minutes as Mata fired into the top-right corner from 12 yards.

Osasuna knew their hopes of securing a point had virtually disappeared and turned their attention to damage limitation, which saw Valencia unable to turn their possession into chances.

But the visitors' goal was breached once more in the 82nd minute as Joaquin latched onto Villa's pass before drilling low into the centre of the goal from 12 yards.

It could have been worse for Osasuna as, fortunately for them, Carlos Marchena's cheeky lob in the 88th minute ended up inches over the crossbar.

Osasuna will now be looking nervously over their shoulders as the defeat leaves them just two points off the drop zone, while Valencia have leapfrogged them and are now four points from danger.