Alaves 2-Valencia 2 | Valencia has seven lives

Alavés and Valencia met in Mendizorroza on March 6. It was the last game with an audience in the stands but then the coronavirus arrived and the magic broke. There were positives in both teams and both the Basque and Levantine capitals were among the worst hit by the COVID-19 pandemic in that first wave. Eight months later, the same two teams met at the Vitoria stadium.

Pablo Machín could not count on Pons, Burgui or Edgar. In Valencia, Maxi did not travel but Kang-in Lee did and even entered the starting eleven. Wass fell to the right wing leaving Soler, Racic, Musah and Cheryshev in the middle. The local team started with much more presence than the Levantine. By the 15th minute he was already winning by 2 goals to 0. Valencia's defense was a flan and the Vitorians took advantage of it. Ximo Navarro scored the first in the 2 and Lucas Pérez the second from a penalty in the 16. Joselu could also make the third after a very rude mistake by Guillamón, who had already failed in the penalty play.

The only two launches of the Mediterranean team in the first half were by Gameiro – he went through the roof – and a distant foul by Wass. The rest, very blunt. Pacheco was a luxury spectator and hardly had any work, so it is supposed that it was quite cold since in Vitoria it was barely 3 degrees. Although Valencia was gaining more control of the ball in the final stretch of the first half, it barely had dangerous arrivals and it was Alavés who could do even more damage to the counter.

Valencia was transformed in the second half, came back from the match and deserved the comeback because they attacked with great danger in the last minutes. Javi Gracia was right with the changes and, at Alavés, the departure of Jota, Lucas and Joselu did not give the desired results.

Guedes and Soler shared the game and Manu Vallejo's entry to the pitch was a breath of air. In 72 he made it 2-1 and, six minutes later, Guillamón tied the match. Wass, Gameiro and Guedes were able to score the victory but, between fortune and Pacheco's great game, things ended in a draw. The referee annulled a goal to Laguardia by previous hand and Manu García could also score. But the one who ended up asking for the time was Alavés.

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Machín: “The first part has been ours”

The coach of the Deportivo Alavés, Pablo Machin, was positive with the point obtained by his team, but acknowledged that they could “have done more in the second half” and said that “Valencia has many arguments.”

The Soriano explained that they have “four games without losing, taking steps”, but said that he prefers to lose one of these matches tied and win another because they add more in the classification.

“We have entered the game very well. The first part was ours, we were even able to leave with a bigger result “, analyzed the babazorro coach, who highlighted that “When the rival has the quality of Valencia”, what happened to them with the final draw can happen.

I consider that the time it took for the VAR to decide the validity of the first Valencian goal lowered them a lot and that is why they conceded the second goal, although he stressed that the best in his opinion was the next phase to that second goal. “Although they have been able to kill the game, we have known how to raise our heads and suffer,” he celebrated and expressed that they completed “very good phases” and others in which they had “a small disconnection.”

“With the first goal we have fears and doubts”he added.

Asked about the changes of the three most offensive men, he said that he always thinks “in the benefit of the team” and that he carried them out because in the second half they needed “freshness”. However, he regretted that after the changes they received the goal.

“The reality says that there has been a part for each team and that the match ended in a draw “, he concluded.