Match Report: VCF lose out to CD Leganés (1-0)

Valencia CF visited relegation-threatened CD Leganés in their penultimate outing of the season on Sunday 12th of July at Butarque at 7: 30 pm kick-off time (local time) on matchday 36 of LaLiga Santander.

Valencia CF had a positive start to the game in the opening minutes and firmly in possession. Gonçalo Guedes had the first clear- cut chance of the game with an absolute rocket from outside the area which rattled the crossbar on seven minutes.

However, minutes later, they found themselves trailing against the run of play over the quarter-hour mark when the referee awarded CD Leganés a spot-kick for handball against Geoffrey Kondogbia and Rubén Pérez made it 1-0 to CD Leganés.

Mouctar Diakhaby had a header palmed away halfway through the mark with Valencia CF finding it hard to settle into the game over the half-hour mark in terms of possession, passing tempo and chances in a stop-start spell were Leganés  took the sting out of the game restricting Valencia CF to one  Geoffrey Kondogbia header which flew over the crossbar.

Valencia CF trailed by 1-0 at halftime at Butarque with all to play for in the second half.
 

Voro made a half-time substitution bringing off Geoffrey Kondogbia for Ferran Torres who had the equaliser wiped off for a marginal offside call in the opening minute of the second  half as Valencia CF had a brighter start to the second half.  

CD Leganés were reduced to ten men following a rash challenge from behind by Jonathan Silva on Ferrán Torres. The referee brandished a yellow card but the VAR overturned it and CD Leganés were down to ten men.

Minutes later, Valencia CF were awarded a penalty for a similar handball offence at the other end just shy of the hour mark. Valencia CF’s penalty taker Dani Parejo stepped up but Cuellar saved it. 

Dani Parejo forced Cuellar into a save from a free-kick with twenty minutes plus stoppage time. The scoreline remained unchanged and Valencia CF succumbed to a 1-0 defeat away at CD Leganés in an eventful and yet frustrating away game for Valencia CF.

Valencia CF will welcome an already relegated Real Club Deportivo Espanyol in a unified kick-off time on Thursday 16 of July at 9 pm on matchday 37 at Mestalla for their final home game of the season. 

 Match Details:

 1. CD Leganés: Cuéllar, Rosales, Rodri Tarín, C. Awaziem, Siovas, J. Silva, Aitor R., Amadou, Rubén Pérez © (Recio, min. 85), Rodrigues (Bryan, min. 21) (J. Avilés, min. 85) and M. Guerrero (Roque Mesa, min. 61).

0. Valencia CF: Jaume, Wass (Florenzi, min. 63’), G. Paulista (Kang In, min. 72), Diakhaby, Jaume Costa (Cheryshev, min. 63’), Parejo ©, Coquelin, Kondogbia (Ferran Torres, min. 46), Guedes, Gameiro (R. Sobrino, min. 85) and Maxi Gómez.

Goals: 1-0, min. 18: Rubén Pérez, (p).

Referee: Mario Melero López, booked  Roque Mesa (70’), Aitor R. (80’), Awaziem (90+2) and Recio (90+4); for Leganés and Daniel Wass for VCF. He sent off Jonathan Silva for a straight red card (54’).

Observations: Matchday 36 of LaLiga Santander played at Butarque.