Las Palmas Stun 10-Man Valencia with Dramatic 3-2 Comeback at Mestalla
Valencia, having secured only three victories in their last 16 top-flight encounters (D8, L5), had an opportunity to alleviate their Monday woes with less than a minute remaining in the first half.
Sergi Canos, left unmarked in the penalty area, should have celebrated his first goal of the season; however, he squandered the chance by sending the ball high into the stands, leaving him visibly frustrated.
Fortunately for Canos, his captain Pepelu stepped up in the 14th minute, converting a penalty with confidence after Jose Campana was penalized for pulling Enzo Barrenechea’s shirt at the back post while the midfielder was poised to shoot.
Pepelu nearly added a second goal for himself and Valencia shortly thereafter, but Jasper Cillessen, who was reinstated in the starting lineup in place of Dinko Horkas, managed to deflect his powerful shot over the crossbar.
As the match approached the 30-minute mark, Cillessen was again called into action, making a crucial save to deny Thierry Correia’s attempt from finding the net.
The first half was marked by a total of eight yellow cards, but Las Palmas entered the break with renewed confidence.
Alex Munoz capitalized on a rebound, scoring after Giorgi Mamardashvili could only parry Adnan Januzaj’s shot into his path.
Continuing their momentum, Las Palmas nearly turned the tide shortly after the second half began, as Mamardashvili made an acrobatic save to deny Munoz’s ambitious attempt.
In a remarkable turn of events, on-loan Wolverhampton Wanderers striker Fabio Silva accomplished just that in the 54th minute, skillfully finishing Campana’s precise pass past Valencia’s goalkeeper.
In the 70th minute, the situation deteriorated further for the hosts when goalscorer Pepelu received a straight red card for an off-the-ball incident, effectively extinguishing Los Che’s hopes. A remarkable side-footed goal from Alberto Moleiro five minutes before the end of regulation sealed the outcome of the match.
Although Cesar Tarrega managed to score a late consolation goal for Valencia, it was insufficient to stop Las Palmas from surpassing them at the bottom of LaLiga.
At the same time, the pressure mounts on Los Che manager Ruben Baraja, who has secured only one victory in their last 17 matches in the top division (D5, L11).
SportsLigue