Smart Javi Basques Make Their Mark in the Glorioso for Alavés 

Deportivo Alavés confirmed their LaLiga safety in a grand manner by securing a third consecutive league victory without letting in a single goal. They achieved this feat by defeating European contenders Valencia with a 1-0 triumph at the Mestalla.

Valencia finds themselves on the edge of the race for European football, having faced two successive defeats against Barcelona and Real Betis prior to this encounter. On the other hand, El Glorioso had triumphed over Atlético Madrid and Celta Vigo in their last two matches, virtually securing their position in the top flight for another season. Both teams had opportunities in the early stages of the game; Diego López missed his chance from Peter Federico’s cross, while Kike García’s attempt struck the post. García later tried to score with a remarkable curled shot, but Jaume Doménech made a crucial save to deny him. Doménech, however, had to leave the field due to injury just after the half-hour mark, replaced by Cristian Rivero for his LaLiga debut.

Rubén Baraja made tactical changes during halftime, bringing on Sergi Canós, who almost immediately made an impact with a shot that hit the post. Rivero, making his debut, had to make two quick saves to keep Alavés in the lead.

In the 69th minute, Alavés broke the deadlock with a beautifully simple goal. Javi López scored his first-ever LaLiga goal with a superb first-time finish from Carlos Vicente’s corner. Although López thought he had scored again, the goal was disallowed for offside against Peter. Valencia pressed for an equaliser in the final 20 minutes, but failed to find the back of the net despite several attempts.

Despite the setback, it was a commendable performance by Luis García Plaza’s team, elevating them to 11th place in the table. However, Valencia’s form is concerning as they suffer their third consecutive league defeat for the first time since February 2023, now trailing Real Betis by five points in the UEFA Europa Conference League race.

Man of the Match: Carlos Vicente (Deportivo Alavés)