Valiant Valencia grind out gritty draw

Match Report
Valencia (1)Sevilla (1)
Goncalo Guedes 44′Mouctar Diakhaby 7′ (OG)

On the back of tonight’s performance, Valencia may well surmount the odds to snatch a result or two amid a daunting January. A chastening defeat at Real Madrid in the previous game had many fearing the worst when Sevilla, who are in 2nd, rolled by Mestalla.

Stats will tell you one thing, but results another. Los Che were completely dominated at home to a Champions League-chasing side but managed to eke out a 1-1 draw despite losing Jose Gaya to a late red card.

Valencia’s recent record against the Andalusian club made for grim reading – 4 losses in the last 4 meetings and failing to score in 3 of them. So when Mouctar Diakhaby inadvertently turned a cross into his own net via his knee in the 7th minute, the omens were out.

Despite the encouraging sight of 17-year-old Cristhian Mosquera making his LaLiga debut just days after a man-of-the-match display in the Copa del Rey, the Bats were on the back foot as Sevilla peppered the goal with dangerous shots.

Jasper Cillessen then made way for Jaume Domenech after feeling “stiff”, which coach Jose Bordalas revealed after. But Valencia finally got a break near half-time, as Goncalo Guedes reacted fastest to head in the equaliser from a Gaya cross.

It was all about weathering the storm from there and while Gaya was given his marching orders for a high boot 1 minute from time, it was too late for Sevilla to take advantage – although we will surely struggle against Atletico Madrid without the captain this weekend. A hard fought point was the prize.

Said Bordalas in his post-match conference: “It is difficult to come back against a team like Sevilla FC. We equalised and hoped to win. It wasn’t to be, and now we’re thinking about the game against Atletico Madrid.”

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