Sunday April 22, 2012 Day 35 Finished Mestalla
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Matchpack: Valencia v Real Betis
Team news, manager quotes and match facts ahead of the Liga clash between Valencia and Real Betis at the Mestalla. More
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Live Commentary
Time:90'- Valencia CF
- Real Betis
FT: Valencia 4-0 Real Betis- 90' ...Betis now with the ball at the back and happy to keep possession...
- 90' Piatti caught offside in the build up to another attack...
- 90' Three minutes of added time to be played...
- 90' Valencia now stroking the ball around with ease, knowing the win and the points are secure
89' What drama! Molina now off, apparently for dissent in the build up to that goal, but that remains unconfirmed
88' 4-0! Piatti scores now, from nowhere! What a horrible error with a mix up between Nacho and Fabricio! Nacho should have cleared but waited for Fabricio to do so before Piatti nipped in to round the 'keeper and score a fourth. A great confidence boost for Valencia ahead of this week's Europa League tie- 87' Soldado scores! Valencia 3-0 Betis! There's the goal that had been threatening! Piatti broke well down the right, beyond the advancing Fabricio and crossing towards goal. When Paulao went to clear and prevent a third goal Soldado managed to block his clearance and send it goalwards. Harsh on Paulao, but a fair scoreline and the goal Soldado has earned
- 85' Valencia again with the ball at the back. Patient play...
- 84' Handball from Parejo. Was deliberate, too, so he's lucky not to get a yellow card, but Betis are now playing on with Paulao advancing
- 83' Castro heads wide from Benat's cross! No real threat there but won't do Valencia any harm to wake up a tad
- 82' There's still another goal in Valencia by the look of the game but they also need to concentrate on closing the remainder of play out
81' Valencia sub: Bernat on, Canales off...- 80' Piatti shoots wide now! Soldado did well to break and set the substitute up but his curling left footed effort is too far beyond the post. Nice thought, though
- 79' Betis now looking to break and are pushing into Valencia's half, with Nelson in possession
- 78' Sensible move to remove the 34-year-old Albelda given he's on a yellow card. That said, he did well not to get another booking for the duration of his game; he's been very tidy
- 78' Maduro on, Albelda off...
- 77' Valencia again building from the back...
- 76' Poor now from Benat! He was through-on-goal from nowhere after Parejo's mistake and could have passed but chose to shoot and did so dismally
- 76' Nice effort from Sevilla but it's ultimately not quite accurate enough as his curling effort goes just over the bar
- 75' Now a free-kick to Betis, again from shooting range...
- 74' Soldado's shot is straight out! Ambitious, though - it'd have taken a superb effort to score from there, from what was ultimately a crossing position and nothing more
- 74' Valencia off: Feghouli off, Piatti on (clearly being saved for midweek)
- 73' Jonas caught offside. Betis free-kick...
- 73' Soldado goes close again! Resilient 'keeping from Fabricio to deflect the ball out for a corner as Soldado gets on the end of the overlapping Barragan's cross
- 72' Rami defends well from the attacking Sevilla, there. To their credit, Betis' subs have been positive but they don't look likely to score
- 71' Betis sub: Santa Cruz off, Molina on...
- 70' Low cross from Alba, high up the left wing, collected by Fabricio! Valencia really stretching their opponents and their could easily be another goal
- 69' Simple catch for Guaita. The danger has passed...
68' Free-kick to Betis, from shooting distance, after a foul by Ricardo Costa. Benat to take... (Costa booked)- 67' Canales almost sets Soldado up! A great cross by the midfielder from the left that eludes Fabricio but the striker can't quite reach the ball when a simple tap in would have sufficed!
- 66' Which, despite their history and the size of the club, is a genuine success. Their finances are dwarved by many others, particularly Malaga, and third - given Barca and Real are the top two - is the highest they can hope for. Champions League football, of course, being the aim
- 66' With four games remaining after tonight Valencia will really fancy their chances of finishing third
- 65' Betis substitution: Montero off, Sevilla on
- 63' Feghouli scores! Valencia 2-0 Betis! A superb cross from the left from the classy Canales is straight into Feghouli's path and the midfielder used the pace of the cross to guide the ball goalwards and past Fabricio. A desreved goal, and Valencia now in complete control
- 62' Tidy there from Parejo. keeping possession well in midfield. Another goal looks likely for Valencia, especially with the speed at which they are moving the ball, but the priority has to be to not concede
- 61' Good goalkeeping again from Fabricio! He came out to stop the approaching Soldado, with the striker through on goal, and got enough on the ball to deflect danger. Brave 'keeping, too. Throw in to Valencia on the left
- 60' Danger has completely passed and Rami's once more in possession deep into his own half...
- 59' Good save from Fabricio! Diving low to his right to stop Canales' inswinging free-kick!
- 58' It is! Dorado's off after a perceived challenge as the last man but it seems unfair because the winger appeared to trip himself. Betis down to 10 men and this game looks increasingly harder now
- 57' Feghouli fouled on the edge of the box! That could be a red card!
- 56' Free-kick now to Valencia on the half-way line, Barragan to take
- 55' Rami heads Canales' superb cross into the back of the net he's offside when doing so! It's a great header but won't count.
- 55' And Valencia now have a free-kick from where they could cross...
- 54' Poor, poor clearance from Fabricio! Kicks out for a Valencia throw-in when under no pressure whatsoever...
- 53' Guaita now in possession...
- 52' Better effort this time from Benat, but his curling shot is deflected out and the danger's passed
- 51' Free-kick on the edge of Valencia's box after Parejo's foul on Santa Cruz. He can't argue with that, nasty looking challenge
- 50' Canales' shot saved by Fabricio! A low cross by Feghouli from the right comes into the young Spaniard's both but he can't connect as he'd pleased and it's a relatively simple save for the goalkeeper
- 50' How much better Valencia could be with a fit Eva Benega would also be interesting to see...
- 49' And now with Guaita after pressure from Betis... It's interesting, however, to see Albelda drop to join the central defence and Alba and Barragan push further forward
- 48' Comes to nothing and Valencia now have the ball at the back with Rami
- 47' Early throw-in for Betis on the left in their own half...
- 46' Valencia kick-off for the second half...
- HT: Valencia 1-0 Real Betis
- 45' Close from Benat now! A long-range dipping effort tested Guaita who did well to leap and catch the midfielder's shot!
- 45' One minute of added time to be played.
- 45' Ricardo Costa now down in some pain after colliding with ex-Valencia midfielder Jonathan...
- 44' Valencia keep the pressure up and Fabricio has to punch Parejo's cross, from the right, clear!
- 43' Canales hits the post out of nowhere! A lovely, right-footed effort from the edge of the box but it curled onto the post and out!
- 42' But it's another poor, overhit set-piece by Benat that goes out for a throw-in.
- 41' Plays been stopped with the large Paulao pushing in the penalty area, with Guaita completely crowded
- 41' Corner to Betis after Barragan deflects a dangerous-looking pass out... Benat to take
- 40' Dorado and Nacho nox exchangin possesion at the back, keen to avoid Valencia crowding them
- 39' Valencia again defending well, pressuring Betis' forays into their half to the extent that their only option is to pass back to Fabricio
- 38' Good play from Feghouli, breaking down the right and sending in a low cross that was deflected to Fabricio with Soldado lurking. Potential let off, there
- 36' ...But he curls well over. No danger there whatsoever, that shot was never going in, curling both high and wide. Valencia goal kick
- 35' Free-kick to Betis, from shooting range, on the edge of Valencia's box. Benat to take...
- 34' But a stray pass allows Albelda to intercept and Valencia's defence is once again resettling and rebuilding...
- 33' Betis now breaking on the right after Canas disposseses Parejo...
- 32' Good pressure from Valencia, boxing Betis into their own half very well. This is the sort of commitment that has helped them survive the losses of David Silva, David Villa and Juan Mata, among others
- 31' And another. But this time to Betis (even though Nelson was the last to touch the ball)
- 31' Now Alba's low cross is cleared. Another throw in...
- 30' Valencia throw in after Dorado's header. Danger still very much present
- 30' Decent delivery but Paulao's header concedes a corner as Fabricio cannot prevent it from going out.
- 29' Free-kick to Valencia from a dangerous, crossing position deep into Betis' half...
- 28' Guaita punches clear with Roque Santa Cruz lurking from the free-kick. Good, authoritative goalkeeping
- 27' Feghouli fouls Nacho with a high arm. Free-kick to Betis in Valencia's half
- 26' Albelda heads Montero's cross from the right out for a corner. Chance for Betis
- 25' Alba now making progress on the left...(Barcelona are also thought to be interested in Alba and you can see why)
- 24' Jonas volleys over from Feghouli's cross! The midfielder did well to break down the right and delivered well but Jonas couldn't get over the ball and instead got his shot well-off target
- 24' Good, tidy play from Valencia. They're not forcing any passes and keeping the ball from Betis...
- 23' And once more Rami's in possession at the back...
- 22' Rami with the ball on the half-way line, but Valencia are currently being very patient and happy to keep the ball
- 20' Benat now booked for a silly challenge on Ricardo Costa. That's three yellows already, even though the game isn't yet a high-tempered affair
- 19' Poor long pass from Rami, collected by Fabricio. Effortlessly gives possession to Betis
- 18' But Valencia defend well and recover the ball.
- 17' Albelda now booked for a nasty challenge on Montero! Bad challenge for such an experienced player, can have no complaints about the booking. Betis take quickly and look to build from the back
- 16' Great pressure from Soldado! Almost forcing a mistake by pressing Fabricio, though the Betis 'keeper manages to kick long
- 15' But a misunderstanding between Nelson and Montero gifts the ball to Valencia in the same position...
- 14' Santa Cruz's downwards header, towards Castro, is cleared by Ricardo Costa but Betis have a throw in on the right wing
- 13' Canales tries to take the initiative but overruns the ball and gifts Betis a goalkick. He certainly is a classy player, though
- 12' Free-kick is wasted and Betis clear. Throw in to Valencia, deep into Betis' half
- 11' Canas booked for fouling the returning Jonas. Reckless challenge, an attempt to punish the Brazilian's stepovers. Free-kick to Valencia
- 9' He's conscious once more but is receiving pitchside treatment. Perhaps an early change is in store
- 8' That looks very painful indeed. Goalscorer Jonas is on the ground, trying to regain consciousness after blocking a Betis cross from the right with his head.
- 7' Valencia score! Jonas with the opener, his 16th of the season! Soldado was offside and as a result Betis' defenders failed to play the whistle, whereupon the small striker headed into Jonas' path to poke the ball past Fabricio. 1-0!
- 6' Paulao heads the corner clear and it's not a throw in to Betis in the home side's half...
- 5' Corner to Valencia after Jonas' cross is deflected out...
- 4' Albelda now with the ball at the back, but Valencia have begun with purpose and energy...
- 3' Great early play there from Valencia, with Alba making space on the left before deftly chipping the ball into the area, though Barragan conceded a free-kick for a clumsy foul. Genuine danger until Barragan's intervention, though
- 2' The big story of today's game, of course, is the news that Unai Emery told his squad on Friday that he doesn't expect to be at the Mestalla next season. Incidentally, Alba has also been linked with Manchester United...
- 1' Betis kick-off...
- 20:25 For Betis, the key men are the much-travelled strikers Roque Santa Cruz and Ruben Castro, who work very well as a partnership. Behind them, the entire midfield has been in good form or late and will also be vital in attempting to stop Valencia. Kick-off minutes away, then...
- 20:25 Key players to watch tonight will be Sergio Canales and Roberto Soldado, Valencia's highly-talented front two. How the experienced David Albelda protects the defence behind those two will also be crucial, as will the width provided by the fullbacks Jordi Alba and Antonio Barragan.
- 20:20 VALENCIA: Guaita, Barragan, Rami, Ricardo Costa, Alba, Albelda, Parejo, Feghouli, Jonas, Canales, Soldado SUBS: Maduro, Piatti, Miguel, Diego Alves, Victor Ruiz, Alcacer, Bernat /// REAL BETIS: Fabricio, Nelson, Paulao, Dorado, Nacho, Benat, Canas, Jonathan, Montero, Castro, Santa Cruz SUBS: Amaya, Sevilla, Iriney, Casto, Chica, Matilla, Jorge Molina
- 20:20 Conversely, the ambitions of Real Betis extend to a top-half finish. Victory tonight would put Betis equal with 10th placed Espanyol on 45 points – this is their game in hand – but they’ll also be aware that a bad end to the season risks finishing in the bottom five, though relegation remains highly unlikely. Team news to follow…
- 20:15 Evening all. I'll (@decwarrington) be taking you through this evening's La Liga match between Valencia and Real Betis at the Mestalla. Unai Emery's Valencia are widely considered the best side in Spain behind the outstanding Barcelona and Real Madrid and victory tonight strengthens their grip on third over a chasing pack that also includes Malaga, Levanta, Athletic Bilbao, Atletico Madrid and Sevilla.
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Summary
- FT: Valencia 4-0 Real Betis
- 89' What drama! Molina now off, apparently for dissent in the build up to that goal, but that remains unconfirmed
- 88' 4-0! Piatti scores now, from nowhere! What a horrible error with a mix up between Nacho and Fabricio! Nacho should have cleared but waited for Fabricio to do so before Piatti nipped in to round the 'keeper and score a fourth. A great confidence boost for Valencia ahead of this week's Europa League tie
- 87' Soldado scores! Valencia 3-0 Betis! There's the goal that had been threatening! Piatti broke well down the right, beyond the advancing Fabricio and crossing towards goal. When Paulao went to clear and prevent a third goal Soldado managed to block his clearance and send it goalwards. Harsh on Paulao, but a fair scoreline and the goal Soldado has earned
- 80' Piatti shoots wide now! Soldado did well to break and set the substitute up but his curling left footed effort is too far beyond the post. Nice thought, though
- 73' Soldado goes close again! Resilient 'keeping from Fabricio to deflect the ball out for a corner as Soldado gets on the end of the overlapping Barragan's cross
- 67' Canales almost sets Soldado up! A great cross by the midfielder from the left that eludes Fabricio but the striker can't quite reach the ball when a simple tap in would have sufficed!
- 63' Feghouli scores! Valencia 2-0 Betis! A superb cross from the left from the classy Canales is straight into Feghouli's path and the midfielder used the pace of the cross to guide the ball goalwards and past Fabricio. A desreved goal, and Valencia now in complete control
- 61' Good goalkeeping again from Fabricio! He came out to stop the approaching Soldado, with the striker through on goal, and got enough on the ball to deflect danger. Brave 'keeping, too. Throw in to Valencia on the left
- 59' Good save from Fabricio! Diving low to his right to stop Canales' inswinging free-kick!
- 58' It is! Dorado's off after a perceived challenge as the last man but it seems unfair because the winger appeared to trip himself. Betis down to 10 men and this game looks increasingly harder now
- 57' Feghouli fouled on the edge of the box! That could be a red card!
- 55' Rami heads Canales' superb cross into the back of the net he's offside when doing so! It's a great header but won't count.
- 50' Canales' shot saved by Fabricio! A low cross by Feghouli from the right comes into the young Spaniard's both but he can't connect as he'd pleased and it's a relatively simple save for the goalkeeper
- 45' Close from Benat now! A long-range dipping effort tested Guaita who did well to leap and catch the midfielder's shot!
- 43' Canales hits the post out of nowhere! A lovely, right-footed effort from the edge of the box but it curled onto the post and out!
- 41' Plays been stopped with the large Paulao pushing in the penalty area, with Guaita completely crowded
- 38' Good play from Feghouli, breaking down the right and sending in a low cross that was deflected to Fabricio with Soldado lurking. Potential let off, there
- 24' Jonas volleys over from Feghouli's cross! The midfielder did well to break down the right and delivered well but Jonas couldn't get over the ball and instead got his shot well-off target
- 7' Valencia score! Jonas with the opener, his 16th of the season! Soldado was offside and as a result Betis' defenders failed to play the whistle, whereupon the small striker headed into Jonas' path to poke the ball past Fabricio. 1-0!
Team Line-up & Ratings
Valencia CFManager: Unai Emery
Real BetisManager: Pepe Mel
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Line-up
Live Team Line-Up
Starting line-up
- V. Guaita
- A. Barragán
- A. Rami
- Ricardo Costa
- J. Alba
- D. Albelda
- D. Parejo
- S. Feghouli
- Jonas
- S. Canales
- R. Soldado
Subs
- H. Maduro
78′ - P. Piatti 73′
- Miguel
- Diego Alves
- Víctor Ruiz
- Alcácer
- J. Bernat 81′
Starting line-up
Subs
- Amaya 62′
- S. Sevilla 65′
- Iriney
- Casto
- Chica
- J. Matilla
- Jorge Molina 71′
- Amaya
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