Aduriz goal puts Valencia 4 points clear
Source: Agencies |
October 4, 2010, Monday
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VALENCIA secured top spot in La Liga for another week when Aritz Aduriz and Vicente fired it to a 2-1 home win over Athletic Bilbao on Saturday.
The win takes Valencia four points ahead of the chasing pack led by Villarreal and Barcelona, who were playing yesterday, with Real Madrid a further point behind before its weekend match.
Few expected the financially-troubled club would have the quality to repeat last season's third-place finish after it was forced to sell prize assets David Villa and David Silva.
However, Valencia's new signings Aduriz and Roberto Soldado have the makings of a formidable strike partnership.
Aduriz, who joined from Mallorca in the close season and has drawn comparisons with former Manchester United and Barcelona forward Mark Hughes, nodded Valencia ahead in the 11th minute at a packed Mestalla.
Valencia's ex-Getafe striker Soldado forced his way into the area from the right and visiting goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz could only palm his dinked cross on to the head of Aduriz, who steered the ball into the empty net.
Athletic posed more of a threat in the second half and after Valencia substitute Vicente scored a well-taken breakaway goal in added time the visitors struck with a superb freekick from Igor Gabilondo moments later to set up a frantic finish.
"We weren't able to kill off the match despite having a lot of possession and they put us under pressure in the second half," Aduriz said in a television interview.
Valencia has 16 points from six matches four clear of champion Barcelona. Real is fourth on 11 points.
Elsewhere, ten-man Zaragoza came from two goals down to draw 2-2 against Sporting Gijon and Real Sociedad beat Espanyol 1-0 after an own goal by Juan Daniel Forlin.
Substitute Jeffrey Sarpong fired a long-range freekick against the post in the 85th at Sociedad's Anoeta Stadium and the ball cannoned back against Forlin's body and dribbled over the line with goalkeeper Carlos Kameni stranded.
Sociedad has seven points from six matches. Espanyol stays in sixth place on nine points.
The win takes Valencia four points ahead of the chasing pack led by Villarreal and Barcelona, who were playing yesterday, with Real Madrid a further point behind before its weekend match.
Few expected the financially-troubled club would have the quality to repeat last season's third-place finish after it was forced to sell prize assets David Villa and David Silva.
However, Valencia's new signings Aduriz and Roberto Soldado have the makings of a formidable strike partnership.
Aduriz, who joined from Mallorca in the close season and has drawn comparisons with former Manchester United and Barcelona forward Mark Hughes, nodded Valencia ahead in the 11th minute at a packed Mestalla.
Valencia's ex-Getafe striker Soldado forced his way into the area from the right and visiting goalkeeper Gorka Iraizoz could only palm his dinked cross on to the head of Aduriz, who steered the ball into the empty net.
Athletic posed more of a threat in the second half and after Valencia substitute Vicente scored a well-taken breakaway goal in added time the visitors struck with a superb freekick from Igor Gabilondo moments later to set up a frantic finish.
"We weren't able to kill off the match despite having a lot of possession and they put us under pressure in the second half," Aduriz said in a television interview.
Valencia has 16 points from six matches four clear of champion Barcelona. Real is fourth on 11 points.
Elsewhere, ten-man Zaragoza came from two goals down to draw 2-2 against Sporting Gijon and Real Sociedad beat Espanyol 1-0 after an own goal by Juan Daniel Forlin.
Substitute Jeffrey Sarpong fired a long-range freekick against the post in the 85th at Sociedad's Anoeta Stadium and the ball cannoned back against Forlin's body and dribbled over the line with goalkeeper Carlos Kameni stranded.
Sociedad has seven points from six matches. Espanyol stays in sixth place on nine points.
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