Maxi is far from the goal. The Uruguayan battering ram lives immense in a galloping drought and with more than half of the season completed he has barely scored 5 goals after a thunderous start in which he scored three goals in four games. Maxi returned to zero against Athletic on a date where you lacked confidence and where something happened that doesn't always happen: had good chances to finish.
It is a reality that the lack of a goal from the forward it is a common matter, given that Valencia has a serious problem to generate game. However, in recent games the level of the squad has improved and this is reflected by the data: Maxi has gone from not hitting a single goal between October and December, to be today the top auctioneer che (25 shots). In fact against Athletic had 4 auctions, the most of the whole game, but none saw the goal.
Without going any further, in San Mamés a situation was seen that has been repeated over time in recent days: With a heads up and everything in favor, the forward preferred to give up the leather. The pass he gave to Cutrone when he could perfectly finish off Unai Simón is a carbon copy of which he gave to Soler in Ipurúa when he could also shoot Dimitrovic, but chose to pass it. Something that does not match at all with the type of forward that is the '22', a killer area far from what Rodrigo Moreno was in his day.
Beyond the football aspects, Maxi is far from the goal also in what intangible. To the disciplinary problems he had with Javi Gracia his disappointment for a project that I thought would be to fight for Champions positions and that it has ended up being similar to the one that Celta de Vigo lives, the club from which it left.
On the horizon is the window of summer transfers, Maxi's will and the reality that he Valencia must sell for 40 million euros at the end of the accounting year. Of course, for the good of Valencia and the expectations of Maxi himself, those distances to the goal must be reduced, because today the Uruguayan leads the worst records of his career in Europe at this point in the course.
Matchday 22 20/21: 5 goals
Matchday 22 19/20: 8 goals
Matchday 22 18/19: 9 goals
Matchday 22 17/18: 11 goals