Valencia CF player ratings from first win of the season at Alavés

According to Superdeporte, interim coach Óscar Sánchez set up in a 4-2-3-1 and handed 18-year-old B-team midfielder Aarón Mayol a debut alongside Guido Rodríguez.

Arnaut Danjuma drove Valencia on from the left and found the net for the first time in over a year, only for VAR to rule it offside. Alavés grew into the contest after that and created chances. Stole Dimitrievski kept the scores level with a strong save from Ángel Pérez before the break.

The pattern held after half-time, but Valencia were sharper in the box. Guerra’s late turn and pass released Rioja to beat Fernando Pacheco’s replacement Fernando Pacheco? No, Sivera, for 0-1, before the winger went off after 19 minutes with a relapse of a foot injury. Otorbi later missed the chance to add a second.

Player ratings, starters: Dimitrievski 6, Maffeo 5, Pepelu 6, De Haas 6, Gayà 6, Guido Rodríguez 6, Mayol 7, Ugrinic 4, Javi Guerra 7, Danjuma 7, Hugo Duro 4.

Substitutes: Luis Rioja 6, Otorbi 6, Jesús Vázquez 5, Arnau 5. Highlights included Mayol’s physical edge and a fine long pass to Danjuma, Guerra’s decisive late creativity, and Danjuma troubling Nahuel Tenaglia throughout.

“Artificial intelligence was used to assist in creating this article based on reporting from the original source quoted.”