The clash of the bottom two in La Liga saw 10-man Real Valladolid ascend out of last position and push Valencia to the base of the standings, as the hosts secured their inaugural triumph under interim coach Álvaro Rubio with a 1-0 victory at Estadio José Zorrilla.
With both teams struggling for form and the loser assured a weekend in 20th position, a tentative beginning was almost expected, as both groups of supporters seized the moment to criticize their respective proprietors. But the game eventually came to life after 20 minutes, when Anuar outpaced Cristhian Mosquera to a loose ball, dodged César Tárrega, and although Stole Dimitrievski got a touch to his flicked attempt, the ball dribbled past the line to give the home team the lead.
Facing the prospect of a third straight league loss, Valencia produced little in reply, failing to challenge Karl Hein in the Valladolid net before halftime despite controlling possession, and seeming unlikely to improve on their meager two points gained away this season.
Victories in four of the previous five encounters would have given Los Ches belief in a turnaround post-intermission, and they finally forced Hein into action 10 minutes into the second period, albeit with a weak Tárrega attempt after a free-kick floated into the area. Shortly after the 60th minute, smart play on the left by Hugo Duro created an opportunity for Rafa Mir – his shot rolled narrowly wide, but the visitors were at last showing promise in attack.
With 13 minutes left, Rubén Baraja’s squad was handed further encouragement when La Pucela were cut to 10 players, as substitute Juanmi Latasa was ejected following a VAR review for striking Tárrega. However, a Duro header glancing just wide from Pepelu’s delivery was their best chance in the closing stages. Valencia thus remain five points adrift of safety, with their sole consolation being the matches in hand over competitors. Meanwhile, Valladolid earned their first league victory in seven outings, with 10 of their 12 points this season coming against teams starting the round in the bottom five.
