MATCH REPORT | Valencia CF held to home draw by Elche CF (2-2)

Valencia CF hosted Elche FC on Saturday 15th of October at 4:15 pm kick-off at Mestalla on Matchday 9 of LaLiga.

Valencia CF had a positive start to the game with the first chance of the match falling to Justin Kluivert who got on the end of a José Luis Gayà cross as he managed to get a somewhat tamed effort away.  

André Almeida tried his luck a minute later, but his quickfire efforts after taking slight deflections fell into the keeper’s gloves.

Valencia CF continued enjoying a catalogue of chances surging forward at every opportunity through Edinson Cavani, Justin Kluivert, André Almeida and José Gayà as Valencia CF’s main attacking outlets.

Alas, the visitors opened the scoring from 12 yards out against the run of play through Pere Milla just under the half-hour mark.

Valencia CF refused to back down and kept on pushing for the equaliser and persistence paid dividends in the closing minutes of regulation time in the first period when they were awarded a spot-kick for a Josan challenge on José Gayà.

Edinson Cavani stepped up and dispatched it calmly into the bottom left corner sending the opposition keeper the other way. 

Minutes later deep into stoppage time, he showed great awareness to get on the end of an inviting André Almeida cross ahead of the onrushing opposition keeper with a towering header over Edgar Badía to give Valencia CF the lead with a quickfire brace before the break.   

Valencia CF edged out Elche CF at the break by 2-1 at Mestalla.

Gennaro Gattuso made a halftime substitution goalscorer made way for fellow forward Hugo Duro.

The second half started at a high tempo at both ends with both sides searching for the goal. The second half's first chance also fell to Justin Kluivert, whose cross strike fizzed past the post. 

Hugo Duro got on the end of a Gayà cross with a sprawling header which blazed over the crossbar over the hour mark.

Alas, aforementioned, Pere Milla made it two all halfway through the second half against the run of play.

Valencia CF kept on pushing for the winning goal with relentless forays forward penning the opposition back inside their box in the final stages of the game but the game finished two apiece at Mestalla.

Valencia CF will visit Sevilla FC on Tuesday 18th of October at the Ramón Sánchez-Pizjuán at 7 pm kickoff time where Valencia CF will try to collect back-to-back away wins at Sevilla FC’s expense.

2. VALENCIA CF: Mamardashvili, Thierry R., Gabriel Paulista, Cömert, Gayà (Jesús Vázquez, 86'), Nico, Yunus Musah (Ilaix Moriba, 74'), Justin Kluivert (Fran Pérez, 86'), André Almeida (Lato, 79'), Samuel Lino and Cavani (Hugo Duro, 46').

2. ELCHE CF: Edgar Badía, Josan (Ponce, 46'), Palacios, Roco (Verdú, 67'), Bigas (González, 29'), Clerc, Omar Mascarell, Raúl Guti, Collado (Nicolás Fernández, 46'), Morente and Pere Milla (Quina, 79').

GOALS: 0-1 Pere Milla (p), 29', 1-1 Cavani (p), 41'; 2-1 Cavani 41'+2; 2-2 Pere Milla 65'.

REFEREE: Pulido Santana (Canary Islands). Yellow cards for Mamardashvili, Palacios, Cömert, Josan, Nicolás Fernández, Yunus Musah, Pere Milla and Édgar Badía.

VAR: Iglesias Villanueva (C. Gallego).

LaLiga Matchday 9 Mestalla.