Celta misses opportunity at Mestalla

After the national team break, Mestalla was expecting a symbolic match this Saturday. Rafa Benitez’s return to Mestalla and his first bench duel with his former pupil Rubén Baraja, two key figures in the team that has won the last two League titles for the Valencian club.

Valencia came to the duel having gathered their forces, and while this energy was noticed in the first stages with good movements by Pepelu and Diego López, Celta de Vigo, gradually suffocating in the classification, went to the capital Turia with the need to add, but encountered a successful Thierry in their first approach.

The shot forced by Hugo Duro was the first chance for the black and whites As the minutes passed, they saw that Celta was starting to feel more and more comfortable. Both teams pressed high, but it was the Vigo team that benefited the most from this situation.

In twelve minutes Mamardashvili made a mistake at the start, giving the ball to Larsen and selling out Valencia. but Paulista forced his way into the area to save his team. The clearest chance came five minutes later when Iago Aspas headed a lateral free kick to Larsen’s head, but the Norwegian’s header went just wide of the post.

Meanwhile, Valencia could not create any positions due to their incorrect positions. Baraja’s team lacked pause and clarity in decision-making in a lackluster match that was dominated by Celta due to domestic inefficiency in the first half.

After passing through the dressing room, young Yarek walked in to take Gayà’s place in the side. That was the only change as the gameplay remained the same. Without rhythm and continuity, time was consumed without opportunities. Canós was replaced by Amallah and he tried to score Benítez, Douvikas, Franco and Pérez.

Valencia wanted to but couldn’t do it. It was not the day for the Mestalla team, which tried to come out from the right with Fran Pérez, who had difficulty making decisions every time he came to the field. Celta also tried, but they found themselves against a big Camira.

Ten minutes before Blades He caught a rebound in the area cleared by Mamardashvili. Both teams became desperate and made more changes, but neither got the result they wanted and had to accept a draw that pleased neither.