Valencia CF visited newly-promoted Elche CF on Friday night football at 9 pm kick-off time (CET) at the Martínez Valero stadium in the opening fixture of matchday 7 of LaLiga Santander.  

Valencia CF were off to a positive start to the game playing their typical possession football trying to open up the opposition defense while attempting to find a foothold in the early goings of the game  

The tempo picked up over the quarter with Valencia CF trying to dictate the tempo while enjoying more of the ball. However, Josan made it 1-0 to Elche against the run of play on 19 minutes.    

The tempo of the match dropped following Elche’s opening goal while Valencia CF were trying to make inroads to get back into the game. However, there was another nasty twist to the tale when Fidel made it 2-0 to Elche CF on 36 minutes. 

The first Valencia CF chance fell to Carlos Soler who tried his luck in the closing minutes of the match as Valencia CF trailed Elche CF by 2-0 at the intermission at the Martínez Valero.

Valencia CF came out in the second half looking to cut the two-goal deficit. Thierry sent the ball into Yunus Musah who delivered a beautiful ball into the box which was guided goalwards by an onrushing José Gaya but it was scrambled off the line by Badía and two minutes later, Gonçalo Guedes had a shot blocked away by the Elche CF defense. 

Moments later, Valencia CF were forced into a substitution following a Rigoni bad foul on Diakhaby who was replaced by Hugo Guillamón at the back.  

Carlos Soler came mighty close to pulling one back with a low drive from outside the box but Badía was equal to it.  

Javi Gracia made a double substitution José Luis Gayà and Gonçalo Guedes made way for Kang In and Manuel Vallejo respectively. 

Valencia CF set out their stalls in attack with a few consecutive chances first Gabriel Paulista brought a save from Badía with a powerful effort and then Thierry with an intricate move to break into the opposition box but his effort went into the side netting.  

Persistence paid dividends on 74 minutes following a great Kang In ball to set Toni Lato away who rounded Badía and prodded it home to half the deficit with little over 15 minutes plus stoppage time left to play.  

Manu Vallejo came close to bringing Valencia CF back on level terms but he could not quite wrap his foot around the ball and Badía gobbled it up from point-blank range only a minute after Lato’s goal.      

Valencia CF went in search of an equaliser in a positive attacking spell by Gracia’s side who were pegging Elche back. Kang In tried it from distance but his shot sailed over the bar.  

Valencia CF kept on pushing for a late equaliser but the scoreline remained unchanged and the match finished in a 2-1 loss away to Elche CF.

Javi Gracia’s side will welcome Getafe CF on Sunday, November 1st at 9 pm kick-off time on matchday 8 of LaLiga.  
 

Match Details: 

2. ECF: Édgar Badía, Josan (Calvo, 94’) Barragán, Verdú, Josema, Fidel, Marcone, Guti (Mfulu, 91’), Pere Milla, Rigori (Koné, 62’) y Lucumí (Morente, 46’). 

1.  VCF: Jaume Domènech, Thierry Correia, Gabriel Paulista, Diakhaby (Hugo Guillamón, 58’), Lato, Carlos Soler, Wass (Racic, 85’), Yunus Musah (Jason, 85’), Gayà (Kang In, 67’), Guedes (Manu Vallejo, 67’) y Gameiro. 

Goals: 1-0 Josan m.19; 2-0 Fidel m. 37; 2-1 Lato m.73. 

Referee: César Soto Grado). Booked Gabriel Paulista and Lato for VCF, and Raúl Guti, Fidel, Barragán for ECF. 

Observations: Matchday 7 of LaLiga Santander played at the Martínez Valero behind closed doors.