Round 7 : Valencia 1-2 Espanyol

[Super Pibe #7]

V

Date:Saturday, October 6, 2007
Time:20:00


Previous meetings:
2006/2007- Valencia 3-2 Espanyol
2005/2006- Valencia 4-0 Espanyol
2004/2005- Valencia 3-0 Espanyol
2003/2004- Valencia 4-0 Espanyol
2002/03- Valencia 1-1 Espanyol
2001/02- Valencia 2-1 Espanyol
2000/01- Valencia 0-1 Espanyol
1999/00- Valencia 1-2 Espanyol
1998/99- Valencia 1-2 Espanyol
1997/98- Valencia 0-0 Espanyol

Valencia are coming off a poor champions league loss against chelsea.They have really scraped through so far this season and against real quality opposition they look like they will falter. Quique looks pretty lost,but luckily has the backing of soler. Though his side should really be doing better with the quality they have. Against chelsea they dominated the game in first half, but weren't able to convert their chances and then just got outrunned in the second half. Going to be a tough month for them, since they have to play real madrid/sevilla. A win against espanyol will give them the confidence they need to beat the madristas and andalusians.

Espanyol have had a great run of results(beating sevilla 3-2). Even winning against depor, despite them getting outplayed for most of the game. Riera looks amazing and to think this is the guy who not long ago wasn't good enough for espanyol/man city's first team.

I expect espanyol to take advantage of valencia's poor football.But then again it only takes one villa goal for valencia to win. Will most likely end up as a draw or with valencia just edging it. Actually think they will edge it,since de la pena is out injured.

[Super Pibe #7]

Ended with espanyol winning 2 -1. Espanyol were down in the first 5 minutes with ruben baraja scoring from a cornerkick from villa. Valencia looked in control and it looked like they may end up thrashing espanyol. But as usual when they are in the ascendancy they always let a goal in.

Though i think it had to do with villa getting injured(out for 2/3 weeks). He was having a very good game and nearly scored a great goal after a run from the halfway line, but kameni produced a great save.

After villa came off, valencia were in a mess and had no idea how to start up attacks(lack of creative cm‘s). Zigic upfront all alone, Arizmendi playing poorly on the left and Angulo on the right, That can't break down espanyol’s defence. Espanyol then put valencia under a lot of pressure, with reira scoring an awesome volley and then tamudo unluckily hitting the post after a parry from hildebrand.

Valencia changed things around at the half time break. Putting on morientes for zigic and joaquin for arizmendi.

They took control of the game again and pressured espanyol a lot, but with villa coming off they didn't produce enough clear cut chances. Apart from joaquin's volley which kameni saved and that was due to chica not concentrating.

Looked like the game would end in a draw or a valencia win. But valencia as of late have let in a lot of goals and all it took was one counter from espanyol. Luis garica with a great run behind alexis and valdo producing a great through ball.

Valencia are in big trouble imo. They look lost and silva is in poor form. Going to be very tough for them against sevilla/real madrid. Their major problem imo, is the lack of creative central midfielders. Playing Albelda/Marchena and a declining baraja is not good enough and is the weakest area of their team. They aren't able to play free flowing football, because they always have to rely on the joaquin/silva/villa for a creative spark. Should've done everything to sign lucho gonzalez in the summer and make edu's return a top priority.

Great win for espanyol though. They are now 5th in the league and only 3 points behind the leaders real Madrid.

[kyan]

What's up with Manuel Fernandes? Did he play? He has a lot of quality and could be a solution to the problem of a lack of creative CMs...

[Super Pibe #7]

Totally forgot about him lol. Yeah he has looked very good for them so far.

Just think they should've addressed the central midfield problem better last summer. Manuel fernandes on his own isn't enough.

They had the oppurtunity to sign sneijder/kallstrom and lucho(some trouble with agents).