Match Report: VCF stretch unbeaten home run with fight-back stalemate (2-2)

Valencia CF welcomed Atletico Madrid on Friday Night Football at 9 pm kick-off time on Saint Valentine’s Day on Matchday 24 of LaLiga Santander. Valencia CF had a good start to the game in possession and knocking the ball about trying to find an opening in the first minutes of the game.

However, it was Marcos Llorente who made it 0-1 to Atletico Madrid against the run of play following a series of wicked deflections in succession just shy of the quarter-minute mark in the first half.  

Eliaquim Mangala had the first chance for Valencia CF with a header which was pushed away by Jan Oblak and then hooked in-field by Gabriel Paulista and then, Jose Luis Gayà enjoyed a cross-strike after a neat one-two with Carlos Soler inside the opposition box over the half-hour mark.  

Valencia CF kept on harrying hassling Atletico Madrid and it paid off in the closing minutes of the first half. Gabriel Paulista brought Valencia CF back level with his maiden goal in the Spanish top flight. Gabriel Paulista met Maxi Gomez return cross to head Valencia CF back level.

Mestalla crowd’s joy was short-lived as two minutes later Thomas Partey made it 1-2 to Atletico Madrid. Valencia CF trailed Atletico Madrid 1-2 at the Intermission with all to play for in the second half.    

Valencia CF had a quieter start to the second half with Atletico Madrid pressing high up the pitch after the restart. Ferran enjoyed the first half-chance for Valencia CF after streaming forward but his dangerous cross was cut out by Felipe.   

Moments later, Gonçalo Guedes worked some space for himself and tried his luck from distance but the ball went high and wide as Valencia CF upped the tempo.

Geoffrey Kondogbia pulled it back level at 2-2 getting on the end of a sumptuous Dani Parejo free-kick with a forceful flick past Jan Oblak under the hour mark to open his Valencia CF account for the season.    

Valencia CF kept on chasing the third from dead-ball situations pegging Atletico back into their own box with the Mestalla crowd right behind them in full voice.  Kevin Gameiro who replaced Guedes early on came mighty close to making it 3-2 after a delightful Ferran Torres cut-back but it blazed over the bar.     

Jaume pulled off a superb save to deny Álvaro Morata’s header and Valencia CF responded immediately at the other end through Valencia CF’s main attacking outlet Ferran who delivered a perfect cross into Maxi Gómez who fired it over the crossbar.

Jose Luis Gayá forced Jan Oblak into a single-handed stop with a powerful strike from distance and then he delivered a cross-cum-shot which went just wide of the post in a nerve-jangling finale.

The game finished two apiece as Valencia CF were hard done by after being the better of the two sides for large parts of the second half.  Valencia CF stay unbeaten at home following a battling second-half performance.   

Valencia CF will return to Champions League action to visit Atalanta Bergamasca Calcio in a midweek clash in the first leg of the UFEA Champions League Last 16 at San Siro on Wednesday the 19th of February at 9 pm kick-off time( CET).

Match Details:

2. Valencia CF: Jaume Doménech, Wass, G. Paulista (Diakhaby, m. 90 + 2), Mangala, Gayá, Carlos Soler (Cheryshev, m. 79), Parejo, Kondogbia, Ferrán, Guedes (Gameiro, m. 59 ) and Maxi Gómez.

2. Atletico Madrid: Oblak, Arias (Morata, m. 65), Savic, Felipe, Lodi (Vrsaljko, m. 53), M. Llorente, Koke (Carrasco, m. 76), Thomas, Saúl, Vitolo and Correa.

Goals: 0-1. M. 15: Marcos Llorente. 1-1. M. 40: Gabriel Paulista. 1-2. M. 42: Thomas. 2-2. M. 59: Kondogbia.

Referee: David Medié Jiménez showed a yellow card to Gabriel Paulista, Maxi Gómez, Mangala for  Valencia CF, and Lodi, Versaljko, and Atletico Madrid's head coach Diego Pablo Simeone.

Observations: Matchday 24 of LaLiga played at Mestalla before 43,297 spectators. A respectful minute’s silence was observed for all the victims and those affected by the coronavirus disease outbreak.