Valencia's title dreams appear to be over after they were held to a goalless draw by Racing Santander.
Los Che remain third in the Primera Liga standings after an uninspiring display at Mestalla, but are now 15 points adrift of joint-leaders Real Madrid and Barcelona.
Valencia travel to Camp Nou next week and will need to raise their game considerably if they are to leave Catalunya unscathed.
The closest the hosts came to breaking the deadlock during an insipid first half was when David Villa, usually so reliable in front of goal, struck a post.
But in truth, Los Che struggled to contain their plucky opponents and were forced back all too often.
Racing's 19-year-old prodigy Sergio Canales, who is set to join Real Madrid over the summer, was a threat throughout but those around him failed to make the most of the opportunities which came their way.
A miserable night for Valencia was compounded three minutes from time when David Navarro was dismissed for picking up a second yellow card.
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