Silva scored one and laid the other on a plate for Emiliano Moretti to lift Quique Sanchez Flores' side to within four points of leaders Real Madrid and Barcelona and deliver a hammer blow to their opponents' chances of Champions League qualification.

The hosts could even afford the luxury of a missed first-half penalty from David Villa.

The win virtually guarantees fourth-placed Valencia's place in Europe's top competition next season, stretching their lead over Zaragoza in fifth to seven points with four games left to play.

After a cagey opening quarter of an hour, Spain internationals Joaquin and Silva in particular took the match by storm.

The tricky wingers posed all sorts of problems for Zaragoza and nearly linked up after 19 minutes, Joaquin beautifully killing a long ball which dropped over his shoulder before trying to thread a pass inside to Silva, but it was cut out by a sliding challenge from Gabriel Milito.

And both players were involved again as Valencia took a deserved lead scarcely a minute later.

Joaquin got to the byline on the right and whipped a cross to the back post, where it was headed away only as far as Silva who played a low cross back across the face of goal and the unmarked Moretti stabbed home his first goal in two years.

The former Real Betis star almost added a second in the 22nd minute when his low shot from just inside the box was cleared over the bar by the overworked Milito just before it sneaked into the far corner.

Valencia were awarded a penalty after 27 minutes when the lively Silva lured Alberto Zapater into a rash challenge, but Villa could not make the most of the opportunity as Cesar dived to his right to parry his weak spot-kick.

But the hosts did double their lead on the stroke of half-time as Silva bagged the goal his first-half performance merited by finishing off a devastating one-touch move.

Luis Miguel was sent down the right wing before back-heeling the ball into the path of Miguel Angulo as he broke into the box.

The Spain international pulled the ball back for Villa on the edge of the area and even though his effort was palmed away by Cesar, Silva following up slotted home the rebound from a tight angle.

Valencia sat back after the break and Zaragoza began to threaten, Andres D'Alessandro firing just wide from the edge of the area after 52 minutes and Milito fizzing a low cross to the near post over the bar from three yards eight minutes later.

But that was as close as the visitors came and as they pushed forward in search of a way back into the game, spaces appeared at the back.

Silva almost added a third with a cheeky flick from Hugo Viana's cut-back which was deflected just wide of near post and Joaquin forced a fine save from Cesar as Valencia cruised to a comfortable victory.