La Real emerges unscathed from the Mestalla fight

Full-fledged combat for Real, who emerged unscathed from an intense, hard, maximum difficulty melee against Valencia. A stitch after the setback of the Cup, which leaves the fight for Europe as exciting as it promises to be until the end. Nobody will give anything away here, just as Valencia took it upon themselves to remind Real.

More than half the team was new to elimination from the Cup. Whether due to the burden of the effort or as a reaction to the lopsided defeat, there is no doubt that Imanol took matters into his own hands: Gorosabel, Zubeldia, Rico, Zubimendi , Rafinha, Portu and Sorloth by Zaldua, Aritz, Aihen, Guevara, Silva, Januzaj and Isak. A revolutionary bet. Another demonstration that the coach’s prayers perpetuate Le Normand, Merino and Oyarzabal, who repeated with Remiro.

More competitive than lucid, the Real stood in Mestalla without wrinkling to take possession. Valencia preferred to withdraw, with five defenders, and direct actions, leaning their attempts to the left flank, where Gayá and Bryan Gil put Gorosabel in trouble.

La Real did not renounce the pragmatic game either, looking for Portu’s speed. Oyarzabal created danger, omnipresent on the attack front. A lateral foul by the captain was finished off by Le Normand in the clearest chance of the first act. Mamardashvili effectively interfered with the Frenchman’s shot. Rafinha, creditor of lights and shadows, manufactured a shot on the run that was saved by the Valencia goalkeeper.

The first half faded away in rough soccer, with many fouls and a penalty that Maxi Gómez requested, in a struggle with Le Normand that deserved no more judgment than ‘go on, go on’. Zubeldia held La Real well in Valencia’s attacks prior to the break. The swords were held high.

Dynamite from the bench

Any detail presented his candidacy to decide such a tight match. Valencia became more offensive with the change of Soler for central defender Mosquera at the break. It was time for Real to watch the point, not just to pursue the three. Remiro saved the furniture twice. First against a distant shot by Gayá and then coming out at the feet of Maxi after a loss by Merino to which Bryan Gil took out oil. Imanol had also made a move, rescuing Isak from the bench to seat the absent Sorloth.

Portu touched the goal an instant before being substituted. The Murcian turned in the area to Rico’s center, which Rafinha let pass. The Real was not advanced by centimeters. Januzaj and Silva left for Portu and Rafinha. Mestalla gave the Gran Canaria an ovation as sincere as it was thunderous.

Remiro, important in Mestalla, took his foot with reflexes to a close shot by Bryan Gil with only eight minutes to go. La Real responded with a lateral free kick by Januzaj that Aritz was about to reach in the mouth of the goal.