FC Barcelona 3-1 Valencia CF Match Report

1: Match starts. It will be an interesting game as both teams have good chances to win tonight!

4: GOOOOOOAAAALLLL!!!! Valencia CF scores through Jose Luis Gaya! Valencia CF gets a corner, the corner kick gets deflected few times and ultimately goes towards Gaya who was standing just outside the final third and send in a powerful shot and scores a goal.

9: Good chance by FC Barcelona, a cross goes towards Jordi Alba, he rushes towards the ball, but Gaya just reaches before him and send the ball into corner

10: Counter action developing for Valencia CF on the other side, but Maxi is dispossessed from the ball.

12: Barcelona gets an equalizer, Depay send a pass to Fati and this one with a powerful long range shot beats Cillessen. 

17: FC Barcelona having the initiative in the past 5-6 minutes, Valencia CF need to take control of the ball and start bullying Barcelona.

21: Valencia CF with a big chance as Guedes send in a pass into the penalty area, unfortunately no player from Valencia CF is there to take advantage of it. 

24: Counter attack for Valencia CF, Maxi gets handles a long range cross, brings the ball down and send a through pass to Guedes, he dribbles past one player and shoots, but his shot goes wide off goal. 

32: Barcelona attacking, dangerous cross from the right side, but Paulista clears

35: Another dangerous attack by FC Barcelona, trying few shots towards Valencia's goal, but VCF players covering good and blocking the shots.

38: Penalty for FC Barcelona after a minor contact between Gaya and Fati, there was barely any contact, but its Barcelona the refs have to help them.

40: Memphis Depay scores from the penalty spot, Cillessen had no chance. The penalty was completely weak, 9 out of 10 times in other circumstances that wouldn't be a penalty! 

49: Great save by Cillessen after a powerful shot towards goal by Fati, Valencia CF need to step up in this second half.

52: Amazing chance for Valencia CF as Guedes play Soler on in a good position, he shoots but hits the post. 

57: Goncalo Guedes shoots from outside the box, but Marc-Andre ter Stegen saves

60: First change for Valencia CF, Hugo Duro leaves for Marcos Andre 

66: Chance for Barcelona as Coutinho tries to shoot from the side, but he is covered and the threat neutralized.

83: Good goal kick taken by Maxi Gomez, but goes just wide.

84: Goal by Barcelona, poor marking and tracking by our players allowing Dest to send a cross to Coutinho who found himself alone at goal and easily slotted into the net.

85: Match is over, kind of an easy win for Barcelona as Valencia CF did not took its chances and allowed Barcelona too much space!

93: Final whistle, Barcelona wins against Valencia CF at the Camp Nou. 

This is it ladies and gents, Valencia CF lost against FC Barcelona, I said that a draw doesn't benefit either side and we would likely see a winner and we did, unfortunately for us it is Barcelona, they just seemed to want it more tonight. Valencia CF had its chances, we had few good chances in the first half and then also few more good chances in the second half and almost equalized, but luck was not with us. I also think that loose penalty turned the game around, up to that point the game was equal and FC Barcelona didn't seem like they are able to score, but putting them on top just before the half time just negatively affected Valencia CF players. 

It was a fairly close game, both teams had their chances, Barcelona were just slightly better and had more of the initiative, but looking at the performance and statistics it was a fairly close match. I think our lack of depth really hurts us, okay you can put in Cheryshev in for Hugo Duro, but who else? Helder Costa has barely featured and even tonight didn't get much minutes, so we have no clue of his performance, but overall our substitutions did not add anything, in fact they seemed to weaken the team. 

Worse Valencia CF teams have beaten a much stronger Barcelona, so its a big shame that we could not beat them, this leaves us in a difficult position as we are now cemented in the middle of the table and the great start to the season seems like a distant memory. Thankfully we have some easier matches coming our way and we should be able to make some progress there and acquire some points.

Cadiz CF 0-0 Valencia CF Match Report

This match was supposed to be Valencia's turnaround to make a course correction over the past few bad results, and get back on winning ways, but unfortunately we have a serious lack of depth. I wrote it in the match preview that our squad depth is thin, but that we should have enough to beat a weak Cadiz who have one of the worse defenses in the league, but I guess even that is a high order.

Without Correia and Gaya bombarding on the wings and Soler with his creativity and technique we don't seem to be creating many chances and even the ones we create there is no person who can finish them consistently. This match was supposed to be Marco Andre's time to shine, but we saw why he isn't highly valued and why is was a bargain sale, albeit a bit more expensive than his actual market value.

The start of the match was back and forth between the teams with each side taking turns and attacking on the opposition half, with neither team having more control. As the match was progressing Valencia CF started asserting more and more control and the team has some small chances mainly through Guedes to score, but nothing major. Most of the attacks ended in lost balls and futile dribbles, with lack of vision and creativity in Valencia's play. Omar Alderete had a chance later in the first half, but his header went wide. Just before half time Valencia CF had a penalty claim and after the VAR check the play was continued and no penalty was awarded.

Second half started a bit more positively with Valencia CF being more assertive, aggressive, and a bit more lively resulting in two long range shots from Daniel Wass early on and these were good efforts, but both were saved by Cadiz goalkeeper. 

Valencia CF would have a big chance in the 58th minute when a dangerous pass from Yunus Musah on from the right flank almost found Hugo Duro, but you'd be excused if you think Andre and Duro conflicted with each other and basically prevented themselves from scoring. 

The next big chance for Valencia CF would come in the 81st minute when Goncalo Guedes play a perfect chipped pass for Hugo Duro, but his shot was saved by Ledesma. Goncalo Guedes several minutes later would also come close to scoring, but his shot just went wide. 

Overall Valencia CF did have few good chances to score, but no one pounced on those opportunities and ultimately the game ended in a draw. I think overall the play was good, but there just wasn't enough attacking quality to score goals or create more opportunities. I think the team today lacked both. 

Its a shame because Cadiz CF is one of the weakest teams in La Liga and dropping points against such teams will cost us in the end. I still think we lack a high quality striker who is able to score more goals and even create opportunities for himself. I think Guedes did well today, he had few shots towards goal, he provided some good passes and crosses, even a key pass to Hugo Duro which should have resulted in a goal, but but again we lack a true goal scorer. 

CA Osasuna 1-4 Valencia CF Match Report

Valencia CF continues to perform surprisingly well, I think a lot of us were enthusiastic for the new season based on our preseason performances and some of the purchases towards the end of the transfer window, but performances like this are really surprising and unexpected. All the better as its good to be surprised in a positive way and hopefully the team can continue to perform like this and continue to get results.

This match started favoring Osasuna as they were given an early penalty in the 6th minute, but after the VAR check the penalty was revoked and play continued. The celebration for Valencia CF didn't last long though, as just two minutes later CA Osasuna would take the lead through Jon Moncayola who's effort beat the goalkeeper.

It looked like a lost game from the start for Valencia CF as Osasuna had the initiative and were a goal up at home, but slowly but surely Valencia CF started gaining control of the match and were beginning to attack more and more. Goncalo Guedes would have few decent runs at goal, but nothing concrete.

Then in the 26th minute Valencia CF would equalize the score as Carlos Soler puts in a cross and find Maxi Gomez who controls the ball well and shoots past the goalkeeper. 

The game dropped off a lot after the equalizing goal as both sides were taking it a bit easier and apart from a few tries of both sides there was no killer chance for the rest of the first half. 

Just before the half time whistle though Denis Cheryshev got injured and was replaced by Foulquier, his first outing for VCF. 

Thankfully it didn't take long for Valencia CF to take the lead in the second half as just 5 minutes in as Aridane Hernandez would head the ball into his own net after a cross by Guedes. Just minutes later it would be Goncalo Guedes once again that would make the difference, this time with a goal on his own after an assist by Daniel Wass.

CA Osasuna would manage to score in the 62nd minute after a misunderstanding and confusion between Alderete and Giorgi, which allowed Darko Brasanac to kick the ball out of Giorgi's hands and slot in into the net. VAR was initiated and after checking the goal it was reverse and the goal canceled. Personally I think the goal should have stood as Giorgi was just claiming the ball from the ground, he barely got his hands on the ball when it was taken from him, he did not claim the ball securely into his hands and it was not in an elevated position, but whatever the goal was revoked, I guess compensating for all of the terrible calls we've gotten last season. 

Ultimately Valencia CF would kill off the game in the 72nd minute as Omar Alderete found himself in the perfect position to head on the cross from Soler right into the net. Osasuna's keeper didn't have a chance as it was a powerful header. 

Valencia CF would have few more pokes towards Osasuna's goal, even Musah would come close to scoring towards the end of the match, but the end result ended up being 4-1 for Valencia CF.

Overall after a slow and shaky start to the game Valencia CF grew into the game and came into its own, culminating in four goals scored and few decent opportunities for even more. Great performances from all of the players, but especially Goncalo Guedes and Carlos Soler. 

Valencia CF 3-0 CD Alaves Match Report

Valencia CF went into this match with big expectations, but a big question mark on their performance as well and the team answered. Beating CD Alaves comfortably 3-0 was indeed an impressive feet and what is even better than that is that the team did not look troubled at any point of the match. 

I wrote in my match preview that this was a much win match for Valencia CF and anything other than a win would be a big disappointment and a bad omen for the rest of the season, but I also thought the team is likely going to win the match, predicting a 2-0 win for Valencia CF. The team obliged and even went further beating CD Alaves by three goals to zero. 

Valencia CF started strong from the get go and it didn't take long for them to find the back of the net. Cheryshev started a semi counter attack from the middle of the field, ran further up with the ball then plays a tricky 1-2 with Guedes, the return pass was precise and finds Cheryshev in an advanced position on the left flank, he passes the ball in the penalty area and finds Daniel Wass who slots the ball into the net. 

Minutes after the goal Valencia CF would have another solid chance for a goal through Guedes who was released by a through pass from Soler, but his shot hits the post.

Granada CF 1-1 Valencia CF Match Report

Valencia CF came into the Granada match following an emphatic victory over Getafe CF with Valencia CF looking to extend their run of wins against a weaker side in Granada CF, but Granada had other plans. Early in the first half Granada CF would take the lead through a powerful counter attack with Luis Suarez getting on the cross of Carlos Bacca, escaping Alderete and firing a precise show low into the corner, beating our new goalkeeper Giorgi and putting Granada one up.

Valencia CF would not lose confidence though and would continue attacking, with the determination to get one back in and equalize the match. This would result in several good chances for Valencia CF, mainly through Maxi Gomez and Goncalo Guedes, but Cheryshev and others had decent opportunities as well. 

Guedes would fire a good shot after a good pass to him by Maxi, but his shot was weak and the ball was cleared with Maxi and Cheryshev also having shots at goal, but failing to convert. Valencia CF would keep attacking and passing the ball mostly through the wings with Gaya and Correia constantly joining the attack and sending in crosses and passes.

None of the attack would pay off though as Valencia CF did not have finishers this match and all of their efforts ended up being wasted in front of goal. If this match proved anything it is that no matter what coach or playing style Maxi Gomez just isn't our goalscorer and the sooner Valencia CF can get an attacker the better, though the timeframe is getting shorter and shorter. 

Valencia CF would continue with its attacks in the second half and once again most of its attacks went through Guedes, but unfortunately no end ball or a goal and it seemed as if Valencia CF would lose this match, but then Gaya decided to take matters into his own legs and act out a foul, which not only tricked the referee, but the VAR observers too, awarding Valencia CF a penalty. Maybe they were just trying to  compensate for the terrible calls Valencia CF had last season, but they gave the penalty and once again Carlos Soler was precise from the penalty spot.

Just as soon as Valencia CF scored, Granada scored once again, as if the universe punishing VCF for a false penalty. But the referees were on our side once again and VAR once again determined a hand play and the goal was disallowed. This was a proper decision though and the end result stood at 1-1. Valencia CF is still unbeaten in La Liga, but there is much improvement to be made if Valencia CF is going to have any chance for European football and we are only talking about Europa league, no chance for CL it seems this season!

Valencia CF 1-0 Getafe CF Match Report

Valencia CF first 2021/22 season match started with a hard fought win over Jose Bordalas former team in what was an eventful and intense match. Right off the bat the match turned bad for Valencia CF as Hugo Guilamon was shown a red card for a high leg collision with Maksimovic after VAR reviewed the incident. Truth be told it was not a straight red card for me, both players had their leg up, both lunged towards the ball and both sort of hit each other with the leg, Hugo actually lifted his leg second after Maksimovic and therefore it was higher at the point of impact, making it look worse, but it was no worse than what Maksimovic did. 

Terrible call from VAR, why is it even used to judge cases like this? Isn't it supposed to be for extremely questionable things like hair splitting goal line calls and hair splitting offside calls, not for fouls or stopped play. 

Anyways this did not prevent Valencia CF from launching counter attacks and on one occasion Cheryshev got the ball wide on the left flank, moved inwards towards the penalty area, he had two Getafe defenders on him and when he reached the penalty area he was fouled and a penalty was awarded to Valencia CF. 

Soler stepped to take the penalty, backed away a short distance from the ball, engaged in a slow run towards the ball and placed a low right sides shot towards the goal, with the Getafe CF goalkeeper misjudging the direction Soler would shoot and lunging at the wrong side. Soler scores and Valencia CF get a lead on Getafe CF in what was otherwise a bad situation for the team.

Valencia CF 3-2 Villarreal CF Friendly Match

Valencia CF just played its first preseason friendly match against Villarreal CF and it was Jose Bordalas first game in charge of Valencia CF as the team took on the yellow submarine in what was a tough first preseason friendly. 

Valencia CF starting eleven was Cillessen, Thierry Correia, Alderete, Paulista, Musah, Racic, Hugo, Sobrino, Fran Perez, Vazquez and Diego Lopez.

Villarreal CF had the initiative for most of the match and were awarded two goals for it, but Valencia CF rallied later in the second half after quite a few substitutions and ultimately managed to win the match. Jose Bordalas will be slightly worried about the performance for the first 60 minutes, there were some positives and standout individuals, but it was only after dozen of changes on both sides that Valencia CF managed to find the back of the net, twice through Manu Vallejo who came in as a substitute.

It was Denis Cheryshev who gave Valencia CF the win late in the 94th minute after positioning well and intercepting a cross from Jason, then going forward a bit and scoring.

Valencia CF is still missing quite a few players though, with Guedes, Soler, Gaya and others yet to return and start their preseason preparations. 

SD Huesca 0-0 Valencia CF Match Report

So a bit of a surprise with the starting eleven, I was expecting Voro to give some of the peripheral players some run out in the last match of the season, but Voro has always been very conservative and he decided to pretty much field mostly the strongest starting eleven (Maxi's inclusion aside), with Gaya being out of the starting eleven as well, with Toni Lato being given a chance here and Wass also being given a rest with Racic starting in his position. 

It was the same setup he's used as well with a back line of 3 players with Correia and Lato acting as both wingers and wide defenders depending if the team is attacking or defending, in the mid we have the trio of Racic, soler and Kang-In Lee and up front Guedes and Maxi Gomez. 

SD Huesca needed a win to stay in the first division, but unfortunate for them they only managed a draw with Valencia CF, while their relegation rival Elche won their match by two goals to zero against Atletic Bilbao.

Valencia CF 4-1 SD Eibar Match Report

Valencia CF trashed SD Eibar 4-1 in what was a goal fest for VCF fans. Its been a while since Valencia CF won by more than one goal difference and with such a convincing scoreline. Even though we won by a lot, it was still a fairly competitive match, SD Eibar did have more control of the ball, they did have the initiative as well, but Valencia CF defended well and hit them hard on the counter attack. This formation and system is basically designed to absorb attacks and then hit them back on the counter, relying on our fast paced players to do some damage. 

As soon as the match started Valencia CF scored a goal. Soler moving towards Eibar box, releases a powerful through ball that reaches Guedes and he is precise and scores.

Eibar would try and return the favor as they gained the initiative and started looking for a goal, they would have few longer range efforts, but nothing would come out of it. Valencia CF would basically defend mostly and have a few tries on the flanks. Then in the 19th minute Carlos Soler would score the second goal for Valencia CF.

The third goal would come in the 30th minute, once again Carlos Soler with the goal to essentially seal the match. SD Eibar would not have it though and got one back in the 38th minute after a tap in from Bryan

Sevilla FC 1-0 Valencia CF Match Report

Unfortunately second shift at work again and these midweek games are really hard for me to watch, work gets in the way. From the play by play, reports and highlights from the match it seemed like a really close match, with both teams having chances to score, but Sevilla FC just barely managing to edge out Valencia CF. Again it seems as if Valencia CF did compete really well with Sevilla and if the team had been a bit more lucky the result might have been different, a draw would have been a fair result, but Sevilla FC is riding their luck and tempo this season. 

Mistake from Ferro for Sevilla's goal, he was the ones marking the player and he allowed his mark to get away and receive the ball in a great position, even have time to setup and shoot wherever he wanted, Cillessen had no chance. I'm not going to be too hard on him though, he's barely played and all of a sudden put in such a big game against a very good Sevilla side. Plus anyone can make that mistake, VCF were setup to mostly defend, and hit them on the counter, and it mostly worked except for their one goal.

If Valencia CF can maintain a similar level against every opponent I think the team has solid chances to think about Europa league. I won't overstate things after two games and we know Voro is going to be at the helm for these matches and next season would be a new coach and we might even see a big sellout again, so it might even be a different team.

I'm just hoping we get to keep Gaya, Paulista, Soler, Correia and Guedes, I think these are the players we need to build a successful team around. Maxi is very replacable, Cheryshev, Gameiro, Diakhaby, Jason, etc.. are all replaceable, but they are also the ones who can bring the least amount of money to the team from their sales and that is where the issue lies. 

What did you think of the match, did Valencia CF deserve a draw here?

Valencia CF 3-0 Real Valladolid Match Report

Valencia CF with a convincing win over a combative and really solid Real Valladolid team. If you'd ask me in the first 30 minutes of the match if Valencia CF would win, I would have doubt it and even a draw would have been fine with me, but two solid goals from Gomez changed the whole game. Its been at least 3 months I think since Maxi Gomez last scored a goal and in this match he scored two and from two. He had two chances and scored from both, amazing performance, where was this guy the whole season?

I didn't expect too many changes from Voro, but I was surprised by the changes. It wasn't numerically many changes, but the concept was different. He started with 3 central defenders, 5 players in midfield with Correia and Gaya also serving as defenders when Real Valladolid attacked, but serving as wingers when Valencia CF was in attack. Wass and Soler completed the midfield with a forward 3 of Kang-In Lee on the right flank, Guedes on the left and Gomez in a central forward position. 

Real Valladolid started well, better than Valencia and had few quick chances. Valencia CF would counter and mount few chances of their own, but noting would come out of them. The match sort of slowed down a bit from the 25th minute, with Real Valladolid having control of the ball and trying to create something, but all of their efforts were stopped and they did not have any serious chances.

Valencia CF 2-3 FC Barcelona Match Report

Valencia CF plan against FC Barcelona was to sit back and defend with numbers, park the bus type of strategy and hit FC Barcelona on the counter, all good, but you need to have a solid defense for that and Valencia CF doesn't! The team did hold out for about 55 to 60 minutes truth be told, but then the flood gates opened and Barca scored three goals in succession. 

Valencia CF wasn't without its chances, Gaya had an early chance which he blew, Guedes had a good chance later on, Racic, Guedes in the second half, etc... We had our chances, there were good chances as well, but we didn't manage to score from them! Its also shameful when our defenders seem to have more goals than our attackers, though our defense is with its own set of issues!

It was a fairly close game all and all, yeah Barca had a little bit more chances and complete ball control, but Valencia CF was with its own serious chances and the result could have easily been 3-3 or 2-2 or 4-4 or whatever had Valencia CF took at least one of its early chances! 

Valencia CF 1-1 CD Alaves Match Report

Classic Valencia CF! We can't seem to be able to win a straight match, today was an overall good performance, Valencia CF had most of the possession and was a lot more dangerous with that possession as well, creating dozen of chances mostly through Guedes who was really on fire in this match, but Valencia players were really wasteful in front of goal. 

Guedes provided several good passes to Gameiro and Maxi Gomez who failed to score time and time again. We had at least 4 solid chances in the first half to get ahead, had we converted some of those chances the team could easily have been up by two goals, possibly even more, but again we were very wasteful in front of goal and failed to score. 

The second half was similar to the first in that Valencia CF had the initiative, had opportunities, but again very wasteful and casual in front of goal. Gameiro would score in the 56th minute what was in my opinion a legitimate goal, but for some reason it got checked by VAR and they decide it wasn't a goal, how, why, I have no clue! It wasn't an offside, literally millimeters to decide, I don't think a human can really make that decision that its offside based on millimeters, and even if it was, it wasn't reflective on the play, meaning the offside didn't affect the goal at all. I don't understand why was the goal even being checked? Why even have referees on the field if every goal and every things is going to be checked by VAR? 

Real Betis 2-2 Valencia CF Match Report

The game played out as expected, Real Betis was considered the favorite coming into this match and they affirmed that position by playing slightly better. They had more possession and a little bit more attacks, though overall Valencia CF was pairing them fairly well.

Valencia's troubles started due to terrible defending once again, Real Betis with a throw in to a player, this one finds Joaquin alone and unmarked on the left flank and passes the ball to him, Joaquin runs forward and towards the goal, gets a cross and finds Fekir who is also unmarked for some reason, gets a shot in and the ball goes into the net. 

Valencia CF would fire back through Guedes who's thankfully playing some solid football, really impressive stuff and has scored or provided an assist in the last 5 matches in a row I believe. He got the ball from Uros Racic, ran past his marker and as he was being pulled to be brought down on the ground he managed to fire a shot and scored. It was a very impressive goal. 

Valencia CF 2-2 Real Sociedad Match Report

Valencia CF had such an advantage going into this match, with almost half of Real Sociedad squad out injured, the rest fatigued from a mid week match against Bilbao, Valencia CF with pretty much all of its players available for selection and it still isn't enough. 

Andoni from Real Sociedad handles the ball with his hand and gives away a penalty, Soler sets up to take it and he misses. We were served a goal on a platter and still couldn't take advantage of it. Then as a punishment for the missed penalty Real Sociedad instantly score a goal. The first real attack by Real Sociedad and our defense makes a mess out of it, and Uros Racic loses his mark, then Soler rushes in but is tricked also and loses the player, Diakhaby comes to cover, but again he doesn't apply enough pressure and Guevara is able to send a shot wide and low, Jaume fails to reach the ball and its a goal.

Cadiz CF 2-1 Valencia CF Match Report

The match came up to an abrupt stop after what seems a racist incident to have occurred towards Diakhaby, with Valencia CF leaving the pitch. There is still some discussions going on, I don't know if its over or what. The cameras are still rolling, the players are still on the stands, I don't know if the match will actually continue. 

Seems like the match will continue with Hugo Guillamon instead of Diakhaby. The players are warming up again. 

What a joke, classic Valencia CF. We are attacking all match, have possession, have chances, but can't score and Cadiz get A chance and score a goal. Why can't this team string more than one win? I can not believe how bad our defense was, with the exception of Correia who played very well. 

Valencia CF 2-1 Granada CF Match Report

What a match. First time in a long time I felt good watching Valencia CF play. I think that early 3rd minute goal changed so much, it allowed Valencia CF to settle in very well and get really comfortable and play some really good football. Valencia CF was attacking and controlling the match for most of the first half, it was really good.

The first goal came really early in the third minute, when Gaya got the ball on the left flank, rushed forward, got away from his marker and send a good cross into the penalty area, Wass fought away his marker and managed to get a leg to the ball sending it into the net. 

La Liga Matchday #26: Valencia CF 2 - 1 Villareal CF Match Thread

 PREVIEW

Valencia come into this game off a heavy 3-0 away defeat to Getafe. The team failed to show up or put in the required effort. That, paired with an early red card in the second half, made for an embarrassing game altogether.

Villareal have been poor recently as well, having not won a game in La Liga since early January. Their previous game was 0-2 home loss to Atletico Madrid. Despite dominating the game's possession and overall shots, they weren't effective in front of goal. An own goal in the first half and a great strike from Joao Felix in the second made the difference.

Valencia are currently 14th with 27 points from 25 games while Villareal are 7th with 37 points from just as many games.

SQUAD

Diakhaby will miss this game due to the red card he picked up last game. This should provide an opportunity for Guillamon or Ferro to start. 

Cheryshev and Piccini are the only two players left on the injury list.

La Liga Matchday #25: Getafe CF 3 - 0 Valencia CF Match Thread

NEWS

Alex Blanco's contract has been renewed to 2022. There was a clause in the player's contract that will automatically trigger the renewal should he play 10 games this season and that has been fulfilled in the Copa del Rey game against Sevilla. 

The club is trying to secure Kang In's contract renewal with new interest coming from other clubs. These are rumored to be Juventus and Real Madrid.

Pablo Longoria has been hired as the President of Olympique Marseille.

There were also rumors that Valencia maintain their interest in Pepe Bordalás as coach. With Getafe also struggling for form, his position has been questioned and Valencia is reportedly keeping an eye on the situation. Apparently, the choice made in the summer was between him and Javi Gracia, and management settled on the latter since he was without a team and could be lured easier.

PREVIEW

Getafe come into the game on the back of a 1-0 defeat away to Real Betis. The home team dominated the possession and chances but Getafe managed to hold on up until the 84th minute when they conceded a penalty. 

Valencia arrive with a 2-0 home against Celta Vigo in their previous fixture. While Valencia played better than in their past few games, the game was at a deadlock until injury time where Valencia scored twice. The goals came from Manu Vallejo and Gamerio, both introduced as second half substitutions, with set ups from Kang In and Correia who put in some good work this game.

Getafe are currently 15th in the standings with 24 points from 24 games. Valencia are 12th with 27 points from the same number of games.

FORM (all competitions)

Getafe: LLLLD

Valencia: WLDWL

SQUAD

Diakhaby has recovered and expected to be in the squad that travels to Getafe.

Javi Gracia has served his suspension and will return to the sidelines.

Piccini requires many weeks to get back to match fitness according to Javi Gracia and will likely not appear until close to the end of the season.

Cheryshev still deals with some discomfort and will not be part of this week's squad.

FIRST HALF

6' - Yellow card shown to Theirry Correia for a tactical foul on Mauro Arambarri to stop the counter-attack

13' - Yellow card shown to Enes Unal for an arm to the face of Gaya

28' - Yellow card shown to Djene for an off-the-ball challenge on Kang In before the corner

31' - Yellow card shown to Cabaco for a challenge on Kang In Lee who had robbed him off the ball in a dangerous position

39' - Goal for Getafe. 1-0. Mauro Arambarri gathers the attempted clearance from Correia, takes on touch and shoots from quite a long way out. Cillissen gets his fingertips to it but cannot keep it out.

45' - Three minutes added by the referee for stoppages

HALF-TIME

Half-time stats. 8-2 shots, 1-0 shots on target, 42-58% possession, 54-64% pass accuracy.

Rough half for both teams with 4 yellow cards already. Both teams struggled for chances and the difference is a long range strike that not much could be done about.

That being said, Getafe picked up a lot of yellow cards and two of them went to their central defenders. Under more pressure, this will force them to back away from challenges or get a red card which Valencia can capitalize on.

SECOND HALF

51' - Red card shown to Diakhaby for pulling down Maksimovic as the last man, thereby denying a goal-scoring opportunity. First game back and a costly error.

53' - First change for Valencia. Guillamon replaces Musah to reinforce the defense after the card.

54' - Unal with a 1 v 1 chance against Cillissen but he cannot score. That was very fortunate.

55' - Goal for Getafe. 2-0. Jaime Mata finishes a good pass from Unal

57' - Yellow card shown to Cucurella for a rough challenge on Paulista

64' - First change for Getafe. Chakla replaces Cabaco

68' _Second change for Valencia. Gameiro on, Racic off

73' - Second change for Getafe. Cucho Hernandez on, Enes Unal off 

75' - Red card shown to Paulista but overturned by VAR. That would've been really bad.

76' - Yellow card shown to Nyom for a challenge on Gaya. Yellow card shown to Gaya for dissent against the referee after that challenge.

81' - Double substitution for Valencia. Cutrone and Oliva on for Maxi Gomez and Carlos Soler

85' - Triple substitution for Getafe. Alena, Kubo, and Timor come on for Nyom, Mata and Arambarri

86' - Goal for Getafe. 3-0. Cucho Hernandez with a cross that was volleyed by Alena past Cillissen.

89' - Cillissen with good save to deny a fourth goal.

90' - Five minutes added by the referee for stoppages.

90+5' - Gullamon with a brilliant through ball to break down the defense. Gameiro pull its back for Kang In but he takes too many touches and the chances fizzles out.

FULL-TIME

Full-time stats. 15-5 shots, 4-0 shots on target, 42-58% possession, 58-68% pass accuracy.

Another embarrassing game. A defeat to rivals that allows them to go ahead in the league standings. And yet again, not a single shot on target for Valencia. The team failed to build on the positive result of the previous game.

The result of the first half was rescuable especially with the vulnerable central defenders of Getafe (both on yellow cards). However, it would be Valencia who would pick up the red card first, taking away any chance at a comeback and would widen the gap between teams. Getafe would grab a second goal soon after. The situation was comparable to a challenge by Getafe in the first half and they walked away with only a yellow card.

Valencia almost picked up a second red card after Paulista's challenge but the situation was rescued by VAR which overturned the decision. 

Getafe kept up the pressure sensing weakness and grabbed a third, and almost a fourth. Valencia almost produced a goal in the final minute but there was no finish.

Paulista in the post-match interview was in tears as he reflected on the current situation of the team. Where do they go from here?

Next match is on Friday March 5 against Villareal at Mestalla.

La Liga Matchday #24: Valencia CF 2 - 0 Celta Vigo Match Thread

NEWS

Following the last game, the club captains, ambassador and president to discuss the result and the state of the team. As usual, the statement that came from this meeting is that the team is united and focused on changing the result moving forward. 

Speaking of the president, Murthy has flown to Singapore a few days ago, with the intention of staying 2 weeks (due to COVID-related restrictions). While he is staying there, Joey Lim is responsible for local duties. This trip has sparked quite a few speculations, with some saying the Murthy might not come back, while others compare this to the time leading up the sacking of Celades when Murthy also travelled back to Singapore. It remains to be seen what comes of it.

PREVIEW

Valencia come into this game on the back of an embarrassing 2-0 away defeat to Real Madrid. The team failed to show up and the home team managed to win comfortable while barely breaking a sweat. Both goals came in the first half, the first a strike from distance from Benzema, while the other was a team effort that was passed into the net by Kroos. Valencia was never in the contest.

Celta Vigo played out a 3-1 home win against Elche in their last fixture. Celta scored 2 goals just on the brink of half-time which gave them a comfortable lead going into the second half. Elche pulled one back early in the second half but Celta Vigo restored their 2 goal margin. Santi Mina scored 2 of the goals for Celta.

Valencia are 13th in the league standings with 24 points from 23 games. Celta Vigo are 9th with 29 points from 23 games.

FORM (all competitions)

Valencia: LDWLL

Celta Vigo: WDDDL

SQUAD

Cillissen and Mangala are in the final stages of recovery and could be selected depending on readiness. Guillamon returns having served his suspension last game while Gracia still has a game left to finish his suspension. Cheryshev and Diakhaby are still in recovery and are expected to be back as soon as next game. 

It is reported that Gracia has practiced with the same 11 as last game but with Musah instead of Guedes and Kang In instead of Vallejo.

FIRST HALF

12' - Yellow card shown to Nolito for a late challenge on Kang In

22' - Goal for Valencia is overturned for offside. It was good team play. Correia was lightning quick on the break with lots of space ahead. He takes an early cross to find Maxi Gomez who passes on the volley to Alex Blanco but the ball goes through to Wass who strikes it first time at goal and beats the keeper. Wass was returning from offside position though.

29' - Murillo gives possession away with a poor pass from the back which Wass intercepts. Wass carries the ball forward and threads a nice pass to Kang In Lee who had made a run into the box. Tapia just manages to get a touch on it to take it away from Kang In and into the arms of the keeper.

31' - Yellow card shown to Santi Mina for a foul on Correia

44' - Well-timed run by Kang In into the box. Correia spots him and plays a decent through-ball. The keeper comes off his line and races to the ball, getting there just before Kang In.

45' - Three minutes added by the referee for stoppages

45+1' - Good play by Valencia on the break following a Celta Vigo free kick. Unfortunately, Alex Blanco overhits the pass to Kang In and allows the defense to get into place. Kang In keeps going and finds Wass on the opposite flank. Wass passes to Racic who picks out a through ball to find Gaya. Gaya puts in the cross but nobody is there to attack the ball.

HALF-TIME

Half-time stats: 3-1 shots, 0-0 shot on target, 52-48% possession, 77-72% pass accuracy

The team showed up in the first half, contrary to the last game. There were a few spells that looked good at various points in the half. The final product is still lacking though. The team put together some great passing sequences on the counter but the danger often fizzles out in the final third.

Both teams gave up the ball very frequently which means less time on the ball for both teams and a comedy of errors to give the ball away back and forth.

Great work ethic from Kang In in the first half. He seems intent on capitalizing on this opportunity and making a mark. Cannot say the same for many other players.

SECOND HALF

53' - Yellow card shown to Tapia for a foul on Wass to stop the counterattack

55' - Yellow card shown to Kang In Lee for kicking the ball away after a foul.

61' - Kang In with a through ball to Maxi Gomez setting him for a run into the box. The keeper comes out and Maxi gets to the ball first and goes to ground. VAR is checking if the keeper made contact with him.

62' - Yellow card shown to Gaya for dissent against the referee. He feels it should be a foul.

63' - VAR rules that there was contact. Red card shown to Ruben Blanco for denying a goal scoring opportunity with a foul. Free kick given at a good position just outside the box.

66' - First change for Celta Vigo, goalkeeper Ivan Villar replaces Facundo Ferreyra

71' - First substitution for Valencia. Kevin Gameiro replaces Alex Blanco

75' - Gaya breaks down the opposition defense with a through ball to Kang In who takes a turn and then plays the ball across goal. Villar gets a touch to the ball and Gameiro attacks at the far post but cannot make contact.

80' - Second substitution for Valencia. Racic off, Vallejo on

81' - Second substitution for Celta, Aidoo replaces the injured Solari

82' - Throw-in from Celta finds Santi Mina on the left edge of the box after a touch from Paulista. Mina attempts to go through Guillamon and Soler. In the process, Soler pokes the ball towards Nolito right in front of goal but thankfully Cillissen is quick off his line to smother the ball.

89' - Final change for Celta. Nolito off, Beltran on

90' - Seven minutes added by the referee for stoppages

90+3' - Goal for Valencia! 1-0! Vallejo starts the play exchanging passes with Gaya just outside the box. He receives the ball back, passes to Kang In and continues his run forward. Kang In threads the ball through the defense to find Vallejo again who pokes the ball past the incoming keeper and into the goal at the far post.

90+6' - Final change for Valencia. Kang In Lee off, Ferro on

90+7' - Goal for Valencia! 2-0! Correia receives the ball wide and cuts inside past one defender and then another before playing the ball behind the defense to find Gameiro who strikes the ball into the roof of the net.

FULL TIME

Full-time stats. 7-4 shots, 57-43% possession, 82-76% pass accuracy

A valuable 3 points, a clean sheet and a much needed win for Valencia. It took a red card and 7 minutes of extra-time to do it but the result is what will matter at the end of the day.

Gracia's substitutes were the difference makers alongside Kang In who showed great work ethic since the start of the match. Correia also deserves credit for pushing on for a second rather than playing it safe.

Next game for Valencia is on Saturday the 27th away to Getafe.