Alvaro Negredo netted just before the break as Valencia held Deportivo La Coruna to a 1-1 half-time draw at the Mestalla tonight.

The hosts, who booked their Champions League group-stage spot at AS Monaco in midweek, endured a sluggish start and almost fell behind after just four minutes.

Lucas Perez did well to hold up possession before squaring to Luis Alberto, whose effort flashed inches wide of Mathew Ryan's goal.

Los Che did not heed the threat and Deportivo went close again on the 25-minute mark when Pedro Mosquera thumped just wide when Valencia failed to deal with a corner.

Unperturbed, they continued in the same vein and it proved a case of third-time lucky for Victor Sanchez's side, who finally broke the deadlock on 39 minutes when Lucas rifled home from just outside the box.

However, it was not enough to earn a half-time lead as Negredo smashed home from a matter of yards when Santi Mina's cross was not dealt with.