Match background
Valencia in the mood for more

With six points accrued already, Valencia CF can take a big step towards securing a place in the UEFA Champions League first knockout round with victory against FC Shakhtar Donetsk. After defeating Olympiacos CFP and AS Roma, Quique Flores's team will go into the match as clear favourites against a Shakhtar side with just one point to their name.

• Valencia ended Matchday 2 as Group D's outright leaders after a 2-1 victory at home to Roma. All the goals came in the opening half-hour as Miguel Ángel Angulo volleyed Valencia ahead (13'), Francesco Totti equalised from the penalty spot (18') before David Villa decided the contest (29') with his first UEFA Champions League goal.

Lucescu rueful
• On the same night Shakhtar battled back to earn a 2-2 home draw with Olympiacos. Twice the visitors led through Michalis Konstantinou (24') and Nery Alberto Castillo (68') but both times Mircea Lucescu's men found a way back as first Matuzalem (34') and then Ciprian Marica (70') found the net.

• Shakhtar ended the night disappointed not to have won, however, with coach Lucescu left reflecting on missed chances and the "brilliant" performance of opposition goalkeeper Antonios Nikopolidis. The result left Shakhtar at the foot of the table with Olympiacos, who face an awkward-looking contest against Roma.

• Including their 4-0 loss at Roma on Matchday 1, Shakhtar's away record in the UEFA Champions League makes miserable reading: seven consecutive defeats and 23 goals conceded.

Pain in Spain
• The record books suggest that ending that losing sequence here will not be easy. The Ukrainian champions' three previous visits to Spain have brought three straight defeats with not a single goal scored.

• Their Romanian coach Lucescu is also waiting for his first win in Spain. During his time at Turkish club Beşiktaş JK, his charges lost home and away to Valencia in the UEFA Cup third round in season 2003/04. Their 3-2 loss at the Mestalla - David Navarro hit an added-time winner - is one of four defeats in six away matches as a coach for Lucescu against Spanish opposition.

• Valencia striker Villa scored twice in Spain's 4-0 defeat of Ukraine in their opening game at Germany 2006. Shakhtar captain Anatoliy Tymoschuk was on the opposing side while Valencia's David Albelda and Shakhtar's Andriy Vorobey featured as substitutes.

• Two Julius Aghahowa strikes earned Shakhtar a 2-0 home win against FC Barcelona in their last match against a Spanish side, in the 2004/05 UEFA Champions League group stage.

• Valencia are only one point short of their final total of seven when they last competed in the group stage in 2004/05. They finished third that year, failing to negotiate this stage of the competition for the first time.

Who Else But David Villa

A first half brace from David Villa saw Valencia cruise to their third successive win - 2-0 over Shakhtar Donetsk - and plant a firm foot in the knock-out stages.

Joaquin got a start on the night, but Quique Sanchez Flores produced a couple of surprises, with David Navarro starting ahead of Ayala in defense, and Reguiero keeping David Silva and Gavilan on the bench.

But that was not to matter as Los Ches stamped their authority on the match, dominating a Shakhtar side that were never quite in it.

A superb corner swung in by David Villa saw Valencia come close in the 4th minute. Joaquin was the next to come close, having a shot parried away by Shakhtar keeper Pletikosa just two minutes later.

Valencia were rampant, and a target-bound Villa free-kick was saved again by Pletikosa in the 18th minute.

But the visitors showed little confidence in defense, and when a loose ball just outside the box fell to David Villa in the 31st minute, one knew there would be only one outcome. The in form forward took a cool touch and slotted the ball home even more calmly, to send the hosts ahead.

It was one way traffic thereafter, and Villa put what would turn out to be the final nail in the Shakhtar coffin just before the break. Joaquin put in a superb run up the right, and backed it up with an even better cross towards the far post, for Villa to score with a superb diving header in the 45th minute.

Shakhtar made a couple of attacking substitutions straight after the break, but little changed. It was a case of controlling the game and not wasting energy for Valencia, and they did that wonderfully well, while keeping the pressure on.

Joaquin and Villa continued to do well, as the superb Edu was given a standing ovation when replaced bu Jorge Lopez in the 58th minute. Gavilan came on for Reguiero soon after, and David Silva for Villa twelve minutes from time, as Flores refused to make defensive substitutions, urging his charges to continue threatening Shakhtar offensively to keep them in their shell.

It was a comfortable 2-0 win, with Gavilan and Joaquin coming really close at the death. Valencia could now go through with a win two weeks later.