Valencia and Alavés came out to play with that pressure that we have at the gates of May. Elche, and to a lesser extent Valladolid, had warned those of Calleja that what had been done since their arrival was a lot but not enough and that of Gracia he reminded those of Gracia of their agony of the season. Ninety minutes later, goals from Guidetti and Gayà through, Alavés is still out of the relegation places and Calleja clings to his English half (he wins at home and draws away) to stay in First; while Valencia continues without detaching itself from the cliff and Gracia crying out for him to end his season's ordeal with no more sorrows to cry about.
Calleja was carried away by the inertia of his team and only introduced a change in the eleven compared to Wednesday's: Edgar for Rioja. Obviously Gracia arrived more choppy from the Pamplona party and, among new faces and pieces that he moved, up to five new features presented in his line-up. With the return of Soler, Wass fell back to the side and with that of Maxi Gómez, Guedes fell to the band. Well, it's a saying about the Portuguese, because he played with such freedom of movement that his heat map looked like a wardrobe drawing, with scratches on all sides.
Guedes was the one who put electricity to Valencia and when it started things happened. The Portuguese has been unleashed for a few weeks and dares with everything. With a dribble, a run and even a free kick. But Guedes' chores were insufficient to put Pacheco in trouble, a goalkeeper who was well escorted by his defense and did not have to intervene even once in the first half. Neither did Jaume, the only time he touched the ball with his hands was to get it out of the back of the net after a goal well disallowed to Jota for offside by Edgar.
Jota's was not the only goal that Cuadra Fernández annulled, who must be recognized that he was perfect in his decisions and manners when leading a game with more tension than precision. It had been Gameiro who sent an assistance from (who else) Guedes to the bottom of the network. But the play was preceded by an offside by Maxi Gómez, who did not touch the ball, although he did intervene in the play, preventing Laguardia from clearing. The VAR notified the Balearic referee and the tie continued at Mestalla.
The VAR intervention was a stimulus for Alavés and a depressing one for Valencia. Joselu, in the 66 'minute, was about to take advantage of it, with an acrobatic shot that he honored with his stretched Jaume. Los de Gracia continued to make possession their own, although Pacheco was still a mere spectator and the counterattacks of the Glorioso began to be frequent and disturbing for the black and white interests.
Gracia and Calleja began to make changes and there the Madrid native was the winner of the bench duel. Pere Pons, Rioja and Guidetti had the leading role that none of the black and white substitutes had. Thus, Guidetti, in 84 ', in the sixth time he played throughout the year, made his own a ball divided in Jaume's area and sent it to the back of the net. That goal was gold for Alavés and a whiplash for Valencia, which would have gotten into more trouble than it is had it not been for Gayà, who signed the tie in the 88th minute in the only valid shot between sticks of the che team in The whole game. Thanks to whom did the ball reach the area? To Guedes, who else?
Changes
Cheryshev (60 ', Yunus Musah), Pere Pons (62 ', Lucas Pérez), Luis Rioja (70 ', Jota), Guidetti (71 ', Edgar Méndez), Manu Vallejo (76 ', Gameiro), Deyverson (87 ', Joselu), Manu Garcia (87 ', Pina)
Goals
0-1, 83 ': Guidetti, 1-1, 88 ': Gayá
Cards
Referee: Guillermo Cuadra Fernández
VAR Referee: José María Sánchez Martínez
Gayá (3 ', Yellow) Hugo Guillamón (36 ', Yellow) Manu Vallejo (80 ', Yellow) Carlos Soler (82 ', Yellow) Javier Lopez (86 ', Red