Valencia CF were in Spanish Super Cup action in the semi-finals on Wednesday 11th of January against Real Madrid CF at 8 pm kick-off time (CET) at the King Fahad International Stadium in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. 

Valencia CF were off to a tenacious start to the game trying to play their possession brand of football on the ball and trying to close down the opposition to win it back as soon as possible in the first minutes of the opening period. 

The first meaningful Valencia CF chance fell to Edinson Cavani who got on the end of an inviting José Luis Gayá cross and the Uruguayan tried to guide it goalwards, but Courtois managed to turn it away.  

Valencia CF produced chances in the way of danger through a series of long-range efforts and corner kicks halfway through the first half as well as promising forays forward.

Valencia CF got a foothold in the game at the half-hour mark. Alas, the referee awarded a spot-kick against Eray Cömert just seven minutes later, and Karim Benzema made it 1-0 to Real Madrid CF.  

Edinson Cavani came mighty close to putting Valencia CF back on level terms with a venomous effort from point-blank range that brought a save out of Thibaut Courtois, but the Uruguayan was flagged up for offside.

Valencia CF trailed Real Madrid CF by a 1-0 scoreline at halftime at the King Fahad International Stadium.      

Valencia were off to the best of starts to the second half when Samuel Lino got on the end of a pin-point delivery from Toni Lato which Samuel Lino stabbed the ball home around the back post to bring Valencia CF on level terms.

Giorgi Mamarsdashvili kept the scoreline at 1-1 with a superb stop to deny Karim Benzema a second only five minutes later. 

Valencia CF enjoyed a lengthy spell of possession under the hour mark as they settled into the game both on and off the ball. 

Gennaro Gattuso made a like-for-like substitution up front with 20 minutes plus stoppage remaining and later on, they were forced into a substitution as Samu Lino made way for Valencia CF graduate Fran Pérez.  

Giorgi Mamardashvili produced heroics between the posts in the dying embers of the game to deny Vinicius Jr from close range deep into stoppage time to take Valencia CF into extra time in Saudi Arabia. 

Gattuso’s side had a slow start to the first period of extra time which saw Giorgi Mamardashvili called into a flying stop to deny Vinicius Jr and minutes later, they were forced into a double change with Yunus Musah and Toni Lato making way for Ilaix Moriba and Dimitri Foulquier.   

Valencia CF enjoyed series of promising breaks into the opposition box but no side was able to produce the goods. Giorgi Mamardashvili sprang into action to deny Toni Kroos as they kept on digging deep for the remainder of the period.

Both sides kept on pushing for the winning goal with Fran Pérez coming closest with a one-on-one situation but his effort was turned away by the Real Madrid keeper. No side was able to break the deadlock the game went to a penalty shootout.

Edinson Cavani stepped up and tucked away the first spot-kick sending Courtois the wrong way. Eray Cömert sent his spot-kick over the crossbar, up next Ilaix Moriba who rolled it in, then Hugo Guillamón sent in straight down the middle and Gayà was denied by Curtois.

Valencia CF bowed out of the Spanish penalties after a valiant display in Riyadh. They will return to LaLiga action to take on UD Almeria at Mestalla.  

MATCH DETAILS:

REAL MADRID: Courtois, Lucas Vázquez (Carvajal, 68'), Militao (Mendy, 74'), Rüdiger, Nacho, Kroos, Valverde (Ceballos, 106'), Camavinga (Modric, 46'), Rodrygo (Asensio, 84'), Vinicius and Benzema.

VALENCIA CF: Mamardashvili, Thierry R., Cenk, Cömert, Gayà, André Almeida (Hugo Guillamón, 115'), Yunus Musah (Foulquier, 95'), Toni Lato (Ilaix Moriba, 95'), Justin Kluivert (Hugo Duro, 73'), Samuel Lino (Fran Pérez, 82') and Cavani.

(4-3) PENALTY SHOOTOUT: 0-1 Cavani; 1-1 Benzema; 2-1 Modric; 2-2 Ilaix Moriba; 3-2 Kroos; 3-3 Hugo Guillamón; 4-3 Asensio.

GOALS: 1-0 Benzema (p), 39'; 1-1 Samuel Lino 46'.

REFEREE: Hernández Hernández.Yellow cards for Camavinga, Justin Kluivert, Cömert, Cavani, André Almeida and Nacho Fernández.

VAR: Estrada Fernández.

OBSERVATIONS: Semi-final of the Spanish Super Cup held at the King Fadh Stadium in Riyadh (Saudi Arabia).