Valencia and Elche started with Valencia asserting local dominance, while Elche, newly coached by Argentine Jorge Almirón, responded from the second half onward with renewed intensity. By the end of the match, both sides had found a way to win, yet Valencia looked closest to taking all three points in the closing stretches, while Elche fought with heart though sometimes lacking the finishing quality of football.
The opening period saw sustained pressure from the home side as Elche sat back and guarded the spaces well, trying to thwart the quick counter and keep the score tight. Valencia pressed with purpose, trying to unlock the compact lines in front of Edgar Badía, but the decisive break remained elusive at first.
Gayà and Samuel Lino carried much of Valencia’s threat on the left, delivering crosses and probing runs that continually tested the Elche defense. Yet as the ball approached the goal, the critical final touch often eluded them, leaving Badía with a relatively quiet first half save for a handful of well-placed attempts.
Elche survived a scare when a powerful free kick caused a collision and a collision on the edge of the area led to a handball. The resulting penalty fell to Pere Milla, who converted coolly under pressure, giving Elche a lead that mirrored a rough stretch for Valencia.
Valencia responded with composure and organization, as Nico, Almeida, and Musah helped steady the midfield and facilitated the ball circulation to create chances. Moments later, Gayà again threatened with a cross that set up a second penalty incident, and Cavani was set to take it on goal. The attempt found its way past the keeper, equalizing the score and turning up the temperature in the Mestalla crowd.
Valencia then pressed on to reclaim the initiative, and in the sixth minute of the first period’s added time Almeida delivered a precise cross that Cavani finished with a textbook header, putting Valencia ahead just before the break.
The second half began with Valencia maintaining momentum but losing Cavani to an ankle issue, a blow that disrupted their forward cohesion. Elche, sensing the need to adjust, increased their presence in the attack while attempting to stay solid at the back.
Elche earned a crucial equalizer through a well-timed header by Pepe Milla after a well-delivered center from Clerc, and the visitors plugged the gaps around their area with disciplined defending and rapid counters that tested Valencia’s back line. In the 65th minute, Milla again found the net, leveling the score at 2-2 and shifting momentum back toward the visitors for a period.
The tempo of the match shifted again as Valencia grew marginally less clinical and Elche pressed with renewed vigor. A controversial moment arrived in the 73rd minute when a potential goal for the visitors was ruled out after the assistant referee indicated a foul in the buildup, sparking debate on the pitch and among the supporters.
Neither side managed to reconstruct the early rhythm of the first half. The players found it hard to generate the same sustained danger as the opening period. Valencia, under pressure, failed to break down a compact Elche unit that had adapted well to the late pressure. In the closing exchanges, Valencia still pushed with urgency but lacked the precise final pass to restore their advantage, while Elche held firm and looked to exploit any lapse in the Valencia defense.
On the day, neither Valencia nor Elche took to the field in the same fashion as in earlier phases of the match. Valencia had the better of the opening exchanges and the local support, but Elche, organized and resilient, weathered the storm to force a draw in the late minutes. The pace of the game intensified at times, yet the finish remained elusive for both sides as the clock ran down and the contest concluded with a point apiece.
Data sheet:
2 – Valencia: Mamardashvili, Thierry Correia, Gabriel Paulista, Generous, Gayà (Vázquez, m.87), Musah (Ilaix Moriba, m.74), Nico, Almeida (Lato, m.80), Kluivert (Fran Pérez, m.87), Cavani (Hugo Duro, art. 46) and Samu Lino.
2 – Elche: Edgar Badía, Palacios, Roco (Gonzalo Verdú, m.67), Bigas (Diego González, m.28), Clerc, Josan (Nico, m.46), Collado (Ponce, m.46), Mascarell, Raúl Guti, Tete Morente and Pere Milla (Quina, m.79).
Goals: 0-1, m.29: Pere Milla from the penalty spot. 1-1, m.41: Cavani from penalty kick. 2-1, m.45+6: Cavani. 2-2, m.65: Pere Milla
Judge: Pulido Santana (Canary committee). Advice for Mamardashvili (m.25), Generous (art.37) and Musah (m.72) for Valencia and Palacios (m.36), Josan for Elche (m.40), Nico (m.68), Pere Milla he did. (m.78), Edgar Badía (m.88) and Tete Morente (m.95)
Events: The ninth day match of the league was played at the Mestalla stadium in front of 41,805 spectators.