A solitary goal from the midfielder from eleven meters was enough for the team to take the three points against Granada
With this victory, Baraja’s pupils are in eighth position in the table, one point behind the European zone
Valencia does not want to get excited beyond its possibilities. He insists on this idea. He shuffles day after day and thus invites us to think about sports planning. However, the reality is that the team is only one point behind the European positions. A solitary goal from Pepelu from eleven meters and on the edge of half-time was enough to add the three points against a Granada that barely presented any opposition.
From the first moments, chaos took over the game. Barely five minutes had passed when André Ferreira had the first scare when he received an accidental kick in the face from Hugo Duro. The action, however, had no major mishaps other than a small mark on the goalkeeper’s forehead.
Amallah came out worse off midway through the first half. The Moroccan midfielder suffered a muscle injury that prematurely ended his participation in the match, forcing Sergi Canós to replace him with hardly any time to warm up. Even so, the Valencian came in plugged in, and it didn’t take him long to star in an attack in the area for which Mestalla claimed a penalty.
Beyond the unexpected incidents, What was happening on the green was not to the liking of Rubén Baraja or Paco López. Both Valencia and Granada reached the opposing area too easily, turning the game into a road race. Only the lack of success of both teams prevented this disorder from translating into goals.
The first exchange would not arrive in the electronic until the last action of the first part. And he did it with controversy, especially taking into account what happened on Saturday in Balaídos. A slight grab from Torrente on Hugo Duro led García Verdura to point out a penalty that Pepelu was in charge of materializing. Paco López angrily protested the decision of the Catalan referee.
The opening goal came at a painful moment for Granada, who came out of the locker room tunnel somewhat dazed. Valencia, however, did not take advantage of the anxiety of her opponent to deliver the final blow, leaving open the possibility of any outcome.
It seemed evident that the game required reversals, and both technicians agreed when introducing them. There were five consecutive changes, two for Valencia and three for Granada. Those of Baraja, with a clear defensive approach to try to retain the valuable result, while those of Paco López were too continuous taking into account their adverse situation.
Valencia’s desire for nothing to happen until the final whistle It ended up being stronger than Granada’s threatened reaction, and the Ches made use of the advantage given by Pepelu on the stroke of half-time to take three points that invite them to fantasize about the European route. The Nasrids, on the other hand, left Mestalla occupying the penultimate position in the classification.