Desportivo de Alavés beats Valencia in Laliga and moves further away from relegation
Joan Jordán halts Valencia’s great run by converting a controversial penalty that Gil Manzano refused to correct despite a VAR call.
Alavés earned three points worth half of safety in a match that ended Valencia’s ten-match unbeaten streak. Just by measuring their chances, the Babazorro team deserved the victory. But the victory came with a penalty that was fiercely protested by Valencia’s players and which Gil Manzano stood by despite VAR calling him to review. It was a mistake in Mamardashvili ‘s punching error —who up until that point had been the best player—that led to Joan Jordán’s penalty kick , who this time didn’t play it like Panenka and converted the goal that sealed a vital victory. That goal left the Glorioso four points above safety and sank Las Palmas into the Second Division.
And Valencia started out dominating the match , out of their own conviction and because the home team’s players were showing signs of a blockage, typical of those who know they can’t afford to make mistakes. This is how Rioja began to validate the former player’s curse. The Seville player projected himself onto the pitch like a babazorro, just like he did when he wore the blue and white shirt. But the connections didn’t work, or didn’t flow smoothly enough to create any real danger against Sivera.
And it wasn’t until the 15th hour mark that Alavés woke up, without even waking up . Mamardashvili flew to keep out a Guridi header, which would have been reviewed for offside had it gone in. The Georgian goalkeeper continued his display by saving with his forearm another long-range shot from Tenaglia , one from Aleñá following an indirect free kick, and, at the end of the first half, another long-range effort from Carlos Vicente.
Told like this in a single paragraph, it doesn’t seem like much. But Mendizorroza was both enjoying himself and despairing because the crowd saw that they could get their hands on a Valencia side that was missing Javi Guerra and, surprisingly, Foulquier as well.
Then came Mamardashvili’s incomprehensible error , which inexplicably failed to clear with his fists , and the ball fell on Mouriño as a result. Gil Manzano called for a penalty. Hernández Maeso called for a closer look from the VAR. And the Extremadura referee stood by his decision. Joan Jordán executed it powerfully and to the right of the goalkeeper. Unchallengeable.
Valencia came close to equalising at the end with two good chances from Iván Jaime and Canós, but Sivera was very confident.
