Valencia Club de Fútbol secured their first victory upon their return to La Liga by defeating Deportivo at the Riazor stadium. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was the standout player of the match and scored one of the goals for the Valencian side, according to the report published by Sport.es this Tuesday.
The Gabonese forward finished a good team move to score the definitive 3-1, after an assist from Mouctar Diakhaby that saved him from having to push the ball in. This win comes at an important time for the team, which before this match sat seventeenth in the La Liga standings with just one point from three games played.
How did the match at Riazor unfold?
The game saw Valencia Club de Fútbol show greater decisiveness in key areas. Besides Aubameyang's goal, the visiting side had a reliable Leo Román in goal, who made correct interventions. In defence, Ximo Navarro was solid and also played a proactive role in attack, being instrumental in creating the first goal.
Lucas Noubi held his own in duels against Umar Sadiq and Javi Guerra. Bright Ede made a mistake that gifted a goal to Sadiq but redeemed himself with several ball recoveries. The team showed character to take all three points away from home, a result that temporarily moves them away from the relegation zone, which fans can check on our standings page.
What problems did Deportivo cause?
The home side had their chances, especially down the right flank where Giacomo Quagliata dominated Arnau and his crosses caused constant trouble. Lorenzo Amatucci controlled the midfield and left the rival midfield without ideas for long periods. Mario Soriano, for his part, dominated the match at will and repeatedly found Aubameyang with incisive passes.
Luismi Cruz moved fluidly between the lines and was very dangerous. The biggest threat was Bil Nsongo, a genuine torment for the defence who exhausted the centre-backs and caused Diakhaby's own goal. Despite these efforts, Deportivo could not avoid defeat.
Which other players featured?
Riki Rodríguez added solidity to the midfield and calm on his La Liga debut. For Deportivo, Gijselhart got his first minutes in the competition. The day ended bitterly for Altimira, who was sent off with a double yellow card for protesting. "Expulsado con doble amarilla por protestar," the player himself confirmed after the match.
Yeremay had limited involvement, while Asp-Jensen tried his luck with a shot on goal. Loureiro, meanwhile, failed to have an impact on the game's development. These movements are part of the team's planning that supporters can follow in the squad section of our site.
What is Valencia's current situation?
With this victory, Valencia Club de Fútbol adds their first three points of the season, although they still have a negative goal difference with only one scored and four conceded. The team is eight points behind the leaders, Real Madrid, a considerable gap they will need to close in the coming matchdays.
The next challenge is one of the toughest on the calendar: a clash against Barcelona at Mestalla on the 6th of September. Barça arrive for the match sitting fourth in the table, promising a high-voltage encounter already listed on our fixtures calendar.
