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Tag: valencia

  • La Liga: Setien’s Barca beaten at Valencia

    La Liga: Setien’s Barca beaten at Valencia

    Quique Setien suffered his first defeat as Barcelona manager as Valencia claimed their first home win over the Spanish champions since 2007.

    The hosts broke the deadlock when Jordi Alba deflected Maxi Gomez’s powerful strike past Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

    Gomez, who had a first-half penalty saved by Ter Stegen, completed the scoring in the second half.

    There were unsavoury scenes before the game as rival fans clashed outside the Mestalla Stadium.

    Setien had enjoyed a good start to his Barca reign, guiding the club to victories over Granada in La Liga and UD Ibiza in the Copa del Rey round of 32.

    The visitors were quick to gain a stranglehold on possession but were almost non-existent as an attacking force in the first half, with Valencia enjoying the better of the early chances.

    Los Che were gifted a golden opportunity to take the lead when Gerard Pique felled Gomez inside the penalty area, but the Uruguayan’s spot-kick was superbly palmed to safety by Ter Stegen.

    The former Borussia Monchengladbach goalkeeper had to be on his toes moments later to parry another Gomez effort on to the woodwork, before tipping Kevin Gameiro’s follow-up past the post at full stretch.

    Barcelona started the second half with greater purpose and Ansu Fati almost fashioned an opening after combining well with Lionel Messi, but the teenager could only poke his shot straight at Jaume Domenech in the Valencia goal.

    Messi appeared eager to take matters into his own hands as the second half progressed, dragging a fierce low effort wide of the far post before heading off target from Antoine Griezmann’s delivery.

    Gomez ended the visitors’ hopes of a late revival with 13 minutes remaining, curling into the far corner after Ferran Torres had broken clear down the right wing.

    Former Arsenal defender Gabriel Paulista thought he had made it 3-0 late on, but the Brazilian’s volley was disallowed for an infringement inside the Barcelona box.

    Second-placed Real Madrid can move three points clear of Barcelona at the top of La Liga if they win their game in hand at Real Valladolid on Sunday.

    BBC

  • Barkley misses penalty in Chelsea home defeat to Valencia

    Barkley misses penalty in Chelsea home defeat to Valencia

    Valencia gatecrashed Frank Lampard’s managerial bow in the Champions League by earning a morale-boosting 1-0 win at Chelsea on Tuesday.

    This was after Ross Barkley spurned a chance to equalise by missing the target from the penalty spot.

    Spain forward Rodrigo Moreno gave the visitors the lead against the run of play in the 74th minute of the Group H game.

    He got the slightest of touches on a free kick from Dani Parejo to send the ball into the roof of the net.

    Chelsea continued to threaten and were awarded a penalty after a VAR review spotted a handball by Valencia defender Daniel Wass, but Barkley sent the resulting spot kick on to the cross bar and over.

    Valencia travelled to London reeling from a stinging 5-2 league loss at Barcelona in coach Albert Celades’s first game in charge.

    This was after the much-loved Marcelino was sacked to the bewilderment of players, who began a media blackout after the decision.

    But they leave the English capital emboldened and with three points after producing a solid, professional display.

  • Resurgent Valencia inflict 9th La Liga defeat on Real Madrid

    Resurgent Valencia inflict 9th La Liga defeat on Real Madrid

    Real Madrid’s harrowing campaign continued as they fell to a ninth defeat in La Liga and their first since coach Zinedine Zidane returned.

    They were deservedly beaten 2-1 away by a resurgent Valencia on Wednesday.

    Portugal international Goncalo Guedes fired Valencia into the lead in the 35th minute with a thumping shot from inside the area which was too powerful for Real Madrid goalkeeper Keylor Navas.

    Real Madrid had played well until conceding, but lost momentum after the goal and Valencia continued to threaten into the second half.

    They finally doubled their lead with a header by defender Ezequiel Garay from a corner in the 83rd minute.
    Karim Benzema headed in a consolation goal for Real Madrid in stoppage time.

    This was shortly after Zidane’s side had a penalty kick decision overturned, after a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review ruled Sergio Ramos was offside.

    Real Madrid are stuck in third on 57 points, 13 behind La Liga leaders FC Barcelona and five behind city rivals Atletico Madrid.

    Valencia, who have reached the Copa del Rey final and the quarter-finals of the UEFA Europa League, have UEFA Champions League qualification in their sights.

    That was after climbing up to fifth in the table on 46 points, one behind fourth-placed Getafe.

    The win extended their unbeaten run to 17 games in all competitions, their longest stretch without defeat in their 100-year history.

    “We know that this has been a difficult year and we are working hard to make sure we come back stronger next season and I’m sure we will,” Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro told reporters.

    “We were in control for the first half, then they scored and got more confident. We worked hard in the second half and tried to get back in the game but goals are what count.

    “This defeat is difficult for us, we know we are not doing well but we must keep working.”

    It was Zidane’s first away game since returning to the club after Santiago Solari was sacked last month, having won his first two games back against Celta Vigo and Huesca.

    As he had promised ahead of the match, the Frenchman made sweeping changes from the team that had beaten Huesca.

    He brought back seven players, including Toni Kroos, Luka Modric and Navas, as Isco and Gareth Bale dropped to the bench.

    Real Madrid dominated the early stages but could not turn their possession to chances and once Valencia took the lead through Guedes they rarely looked like letting it slip.

    Marcelino’s side missed a gilt-edged chance to seal victory when Kevin Gameiro attempted a backheel pass towards Carlos Soler when it would have been easier to shoot at goal.

    But Argentine Garay made up for his team mate’s wastefulness by effectively sealing the points with a towering header from captain Dani Parejo’s corner kick.

  • UCL: Man Utd lose at Valencia to blow chance of top spot

    UCL: Man Utd lose at Valencia to blow chance of top spot

    Manchester United endured an undignified end to their topsy-turvy UEFA Champions League group stage campaign by losing 1-2 at already-eliminated Valencia on Wednesday and missing their chance of topping Group H.

    Manchester United were already guaranteed a last 16 berth but needed to win and to see Juventus lose to group minnows Young Boys if they were to take the top spot.

    One half of the unlikely scenario materialised as the Swiss side beat the Italian giants 2-1 but Manchester United blew their chance with a defeat that consigned them to second place.

    Carlos Soler put the La Liga side ahead in the 17th minute with a powerful finish.

    Then Manchester United defender Phil Jones scored an embarrassing own goal at the start of the second half to double Valencia’s lead.

    Substitute Marcus Rashford gave them brief hope of a comeback by heading home in the 87th minute after a rare bright passage of play from the visitors.

    But Valencia comfortably saw out the victory.

    Juventus finished top of the group on 12 points, with Manchester United on 10.

    Valencia, who were already assured of third place and qualification for the knockout stages of the UEFA Europa League, finished with eight while Young Boys earned four.

    With one eye on Sunday’s trip to English Premier League leaders and historic rivals Liverpool, Jose Mourinho rotated his side.

    He made eight changes from Saturday’s 4-1 win over Fulham, including bringing record signing Paul Pogba back into the fold.

    Pogba had Manchester United’s best opportunity to cancel out Soler’s impressive opening strike following a Marouane Fellaini knockdown.

    But somehow he missed the target from close range with the goal gaping.

    Manchester United’s task in turning the game around became significantly harder, thanks to a clumsy moment from Jones.

    He failed to communicate properly with team mate Sergio Romero and slid the ball into his own net.

    “I think we were too passive in the first half. We were quite comfortable with the ball but not in intensity and ambition,” Mourinho told reporters.

    “In the second half, I was pretty sure that after speaking at halftime, things could be different. But we started with an own goal that gave Valencia a better position to control the game.”

    Valencia have had a poor campaign in both Europe and La Liga, where they lie 15th in the standings with only three victories.

    But coach Marcelino said the win had lifted the mood in the dressing room.

    “I’m happy for the players because they have competed well in many games this season but things haven’t worked out for us.

    “Today, we played with freshness and bravery, and I’m delighted for them because they have suffered,” he said.

    “There are many tremendous teams in this competition, some real powerhouses. But the thing that counts is winning and, unfortunately, we haven’t picked up enough points.”

  • Champions League: Man Utd, Valencia charged over delayed kick-off

    Champions League: Man Utd, Valencia charged over delayed kick-off

    Manchester United have been charged by Uefa over their late arrival for Tuesday’s Champions League draw with Valencia, which delayed kick-off by five minutes.

    The team coach was delayed in traffic on its way to Old Trafford from the Lowry Hotel in Manchester city centre.
    United manager Jose Mourinho said they were refused a police escort.
    But Greater Manchester Police said it has stopped providing escorts unless there is a risk to players.
    It added that clubs had been consulted “over a period of months” to allow “adequate time to plan ahead for their journeys to the stadium”.
    United drew the game 0-0 and their Spanish opponents have also been charged for the late kick-off. It is understood both teams were late leaving the changing room, even after the new kick-off time of 20:05 BST had been agreed.
    Valencia have also been charged for a kit infringement because their substitutes wore neck warmers with the manufacturers’ logo visible.

  • Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi joins Valencia on a season-long loan

    Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi joins Valencia on a season-long loan

    Chelsea striker Michy Batshuayi has joined Spanish club Valencia on a season-long loan.

    The 24-year-old Belgium international spent part of last season on loan at German club Borussia Dortmund, scoring nine times in 14 appearances.

    Batshuayi joined Chelsea in July 2016 for a fee in the region of £33m and has scored 19 times in 53 games.

    His departure will leave Alvaro Morata, Olivier Giroud and Tammy Abraham as Chelsea’s recognised strikers.

    Batshuayi made three appearances for Belgium at the World Cup in Russia this summer, scoring after coming off the bench in the 5-2 group-stage victory over Tunisia.

    Chelsea also announced on Friday that 23-year-old French defender Kurt Zouma will spend the season on loan at Everton.

  • La Liga: Record-breaking Barca revived after defeating Valencia

    Barcelona responded to their shock Champions League elimination from quarter-finals to AS Roma by beating Valencia 2-1 on Saturday in a subdued atmosphere at the Nou Camp.

    By the victory, the Catalans set a Liga record run of 39 games unbeaten and taking them ever closer to another title.

    Luis Suarez gave Barca the lead after a quarter of an hour by meeting a delicious outside-of-the-foot pass from former Liverpool teammate Philippe Coutinho, scoring with one touch from close range.

    Club-record signing Coutinho then delivered an out-swinging corner from which Samuel Umtiti headed in Barca’s second in the 51st minute.

    Gerard Pique had saved Umtiti’s blushes by clearing a shot from Valencia forward Santi Mina off the line following a slip by the France defender.

    Captain Dani Parejo pulled a goal back for third-placed Valencia by squeezing an 87th-minute penalty under Barca goalkeeper Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

    But the Catalans withstood an exciting final spell to move effectively to within seven points of their 25th league title.

    Ernesto Valverde’s side lead nearest challengers Atletico Madrid by 14 points in the standings, with Atletico hosting Levante and fourth-placed Real visiting basement club Malaga on Sunday.