REPORT | VCF Mestalla claim victory away to Leicester City FC (1-3)

VCF Mestalla played on Tuesday evening against Leicester City in Matchday 2 of the group stage of the Premier League International Cup.

The match, held at Leicester City’s training facilities in Seagrave, ended with a 1-3 win for VCF Mestalla after a very solid performance from the team. The visitors went ahead through goals from Víctor Jr. and Álex Cerdá in the first half, with Leslie adding a third after the break.

VCF Mestalla approached the match determined to earn three points to stay in contention in this U21 competition organised by the Premier League, featuring 32 teams from England and across Europe, and to change their momentum in the domestic league, where they had yet to secure a victory.

Early on, Álex Cerdá was brought down inside the box in one of the first attacking moves, and just two minutes in, Víctor Jr. intercepted a ball and finished perfectly with his left foot past the English goalkeeper to open the scoring.

The game then entered a more balanced phase, with the English side struggling to threaten Pere Joan’s goal - the goalkeeper making his debut for the team. Midway through the first half, Víctor Jr. came close to scoring again with a good effort, and shortly before the break, Álex Cerdá took advantage of another recovery and an assist from Mario Domínguez to double VCF Mestalla’s lead.

The second half began at a frantic pace. Two minutes after the restart, Leslie took advantage of a defensive mix-up from Leicester to score the third with a fine low shot across goal. The match looked settled, but just a minute later, Richards reduced the deficit. Moments later, Mario Domínguez could have made it 1-4, but his shot was denied by the English goalkeeper.

After that lively spell, VCF Mestalla managed the game calmly, limiting Leicester’s chances while continuing to look dangerous in attack.

In the final minutes, Miguel Ángel Angulo’s team created several chances to extend their lead — through Álex Cerdá, Carlos Alós from a corner, Aimar, and finally Marc Jurado, whose shot was well saved by the home goalkeeper.

VCF Mestalla’s next match in the Premier League International Cup will take place on November 4th against Crystal Palace, once again in England.

The reserve side will then face West Bromwich Albion FC in December to complete the group stage, with the top two teams in each group qualifying for the knockout rounds.

Before that, VCF Mestalla will focus on their domestic competition, with two consecutive matches at the Antonio Puchades Stadium - opportunities to secure their first league win.

 They will face Reus this Sunday, September 28th (12:00 p.m.), and CD Castellón B on Sunday, October 4th, also at 12:00 p.m.