Valencia Club de Fútbol face a key test this Tuesday at Mendizorrotza against Deportivo Alaves, urgently needing points to climb off the bottom of the table. The team, with just one point from five games, arrives on the back of four consecutive defeats and meets a rival sitting in third place.
The situation is dire. The latest setback came last Friday in Seville, where an 81st-minute goal from Juan Antonio Iglesias condemned them to a 1-0 loss. That result left them 20th in La Liga, with a record of zero wins, one draw and four defeats. Their goal difference stands at -9, having scored only once and conceded ten times. The previous week, the Camp Nou was the scene of a heavy 5-0 defeat to Barcelona, with braces from Lamine Yamal and Fermin.
The injury list is extensive and complicates the manager's task. The latest medical report rules out Sergio Canós, Jesús Copete, Mouctar Diakhaby, Dimitri Foulquier, Diego López and Luis Rioja. These absences, particularly in defence and on the flanks, force significant reshuffles. The last starting eleven featured Stole Dimitrievski in goal, with a back four of Arnau Martínez, César Tárrega, Pepelu and José Gayà. In midfield, David Otorbi and Abdoulaye Dieng were the pivots, with Fran Ugrinic and Riki Sato on the wings, and Javi Guerra behind striker Arnaut Danjuma.
The Vitoria-based side are in a very different moment. After a narrow loss to Racing Santander (1-2), they have strong home results, including convincing wins against Osasuna (5-2) and Getafe (3-0). Their manager, however, also deals with absences. Forward Aitor Mañas is out with a head injury and is not due back until the end of the month. Long-term, defender Facundo Garcés and midfielder Mikel Rodríguez are recovering from cruciate ligament injuries with no return date. Their last typical eleven was a 3-5-2 with Sivera; Tenaglia, Koski and Jonny in defence; Angel Pérez, Pablo Ibáñez, Antonio Blanco, Denis Suárez and Rebbach in midfield; and Boyé and Díaz up front.
The clash at Mendizorrotza shapes up as a fiery test for Valencia's morale. They need to break the negative cycle from the first minute and be defensively solid to avoid early concessions. The next fixture on the league calendar is this very match, and a positive result could be the turning point they seek. Fans can check the full squad status and upcoming dates on our squad and fixtures pages. The match kicks off on Tuesday 15 September at 20:00 local time.
