Valencia could only manage a 1-1 draw away to 10-man Rayo Vallecano in La Liga on Thursday, but the point was enough to lift them back into the top four above Sevilla.
Nuno Espirito Santo’s side trailed in Vallecas to a 19th-minute strike by Adrian Embarba but were handed a route back into the game just after the hour mark when home defender Jorge Morcillo was sent off.
Morcillo was dismissed for denying Andre Gomes a clear goal-scoring opportunity just outside the penalty area and Dani Parejo stepped up to convert the resulting free-kick.
The result leaves Valencia in the fourth and final Champions League qualifying spot, albeit they are level on points with fifth-placed Sevilla with four games remaining.
Sevilla won 3-1 at Eibar on Wednesday to stretch their unbeaten run in La Liga to 10 games, but crucially Valencia hold the edge over the Andalusian side on head to head, which is used as the tie-breaker between teams who finish level on points.
The top three sides in La Liga qualify automatically for the Champions League group stage with fourth going into a play-off.