VCF Mestalla played this Tuesday evening in London against Tottenham Hotspur FC on the Premier League International Cup opening matchday, an under-21 competition organised by the Premier League in which 32 teams from different countries participate. The match played at the Lamex Stadium ended with a 1-3 victory for a great VCF Mestalla side who were able to come from behind with goals from Pedro Alemañ, Daniel Paulino and Alexander Gurendal.

The VCF began the game with a rotated starting eleven and with the conviction to compete against a U21 Tottenham Hotspur side that dominated the game from the start with a series of dangerous corner kicks. It would be VCF Mestalla who would give the first warning with a goal by Andrés Caro disallowed for a very tight offside in the six-yard box after a wide free kick by Pedro Alemañ.

With doubt still in the air, the Tottenham attack was finished off low by Leo Black to slot the ball past Raúl Jiménez. The English side's goal did nothing to dampen VCF Mestalla's conviction as they continued to get closer to Tottenham's box and saw another goal disallowed, this time for offside against Daniel Paulino, who minutes later was again solo to beat Gunter, this time, clearly offside.

In the final stretch of the first half, VCF Mestalla looked for an equaliser, especially with Pablo López very active on the left flank. The equaliser came just before the break when Isma Santana played a great through ball down the right flank, which Pedro Alemañ took full advantage of with a low left-footed drive past the Tottenham goalkeeper.

VCF Mestalla went into the second half with confidence in Pedro Alemañ's goal and knowing how to withstand Tottenham's initial dominance to look for counter-attacks. In one of them, Pedro Alemañ's through ball for Pablo López to get to the byline to make a killer pass that Daniel Paulino took advantage of to poke the ball into an empty net.

Minutes later, the same script followed this time with different players. Joselu brought down a long-range looping ball, and switched it over to the left flank where Leslie whipped in a pinpoint cross into the six-yard box which Alexander Gurendal converted to round off the scoreline. 

The second matchday of the Premier League International Cup will see VCF Mestalla face Nottingham Forest FC U21 in a game that will be played on October 15th again in London.

VCF Mestalla's next fixture in Group III of the Segunda Federación will be this Sunday 22 September (12pm) against Real Mallorca B.

Instagram: @academiavalenciacf

X:  @academia_VCF